US09821578B2

A tape printing apparatus or the like is provided, in which both smoothness and high positioning accuracy can be realized when a tape cartridge is attached and detached. The tape printing apparatus includes a cartridge mounting portion on which a tape cartridge having a core shaft portion disposed on an inner peripheral side of a wound print tape is detachably mounted, a positioning protrusion portion which protrudes from the cartridge mounting portion and engages with an inner peripheral portion of the core shaft portion of the mounted tape cartridge, and a plurality of conductive contactors which are provided in the positioning protrusion portion, in which the plurality of conductive contactors are equally disposed in a peripheral direction in the positioning protrusion portion, and bias an inner peripheral surface of the engaged core shaft portion toward the outside in a radial direction.
US09821571B2

The object is to suitably satisfy a condition for preventing smearing of a printed object and a condition for endowing glossiness to the printed object. As a solution therefor, a plurality of inkjet heads (12y, 12m, 12c, 12k), a print heater (104) being a medium heating heater, and a sub-scan driving unit (16) being an opposing position changing unit that sequentially causes each of positions in a medium (50) in a moving direction of the medium (50) to oppose the respective inkjet heads (12y, 12m, 12c, 12k) are provided, where ink is ink containing solvent and is fixed onto the medium (50) by the solvent being dried, and the print heater (104) dries the ink that has been discharged from one of the inkjet heads and struck onto the medium before another inkjet head further discharges an ink droplet onto a struck position of the ink.
US09821561B2

Provided is an ink supply set having an ink containing body detachable from a liquid supply apparatus, and an electrical contact unit that is independent of the ink containing body. The ink containing body includes an ink containing portion, an ink guiding portion, and a first engaging portion, the electrical contact unit includes a circuit board and a substrate installation portion, and the liquid supply apparatus includes a liquid introduction portion and a movable support portion. In a state in which the first engaging portion and the substrate installation portion are respectively engaged with the movable support portion, the movable support portion is displaced to a connected position in which the ink guiding portion and the liquid introduction portion are connected.
US09821556B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a carriage including an ejecting unit which ejects liquid onto a medium, and can move in a reciprocating direction, in which the carriage includes catching units which catch mist which occurs along with ejecting of the liquid from the ejecting unit on at least one side of the ejecting unit in the reciprocating direction, and the catching units include a fan which moves the mist from the catching units by generating an air current.
US09821543B1

An additive manufacturing powder handling system includes a powder container and at least two of: an overflow powder collector system configured to collect overflow additive manufacturing powder from the additive manufacturing printer and pass the overflow additive manufacturing powder into the powder container; a vacuum system configured to receive by vacuum force additive manufacturing powder from an additive manufacturing printer and pass the additive manufacturing powder into the powder container; a sieve system configured to filter the additive manufacturing powder; and a powder container moving apparatus configured to move the powder container between any two of the additive manufacturing printer, the overflow powder collector system, the vacuum system, and the sieve system. The powder container includes a powder container coupling. Each of the overflow powder collector system, the vacuum system, and the sieve system includes at least one coupling element configured to receive the powder container coupling.
US09821542B2

Elastic laminates and methods of making same are provided, wherein the laminate includes an elastic film laminated to at least one substrate web, and wherein the elastic film has been stretched at least twice prior to bonding the film to the substrate layer. Such laminates possess improved bond strength between the film and the substrate web and have greater elongation versus laminates made with a film that has been stretched only once.
US09821533B2

A physically crosslinked, closed cell continuous multilayer foam structure comprising at least one polypropylene/polyethylene coextruded foam layer is obtained. The multilayer foam structure is obtained by coextruding a multilayer structure comprising at least one foam composition layer, irradiating the coextruded structure with ionizing radiation, and continuously foaming the irradiated structure.
US09821532B2

Disclosed is waterproofing sheeting that uses a polyester layer that provides high lateral stability and puncture resistance. The waterproof sheeting can be used in many applications including waterproof roof underlayments, waterproof sheeting for foundations, underlayment for tile and flooring and various other applications. The waterproof sheeting can be manufactured without many of the problems associated with the granular coatings of existing waterproof sheeting that create excessive wear and environmental hazards.
US09821530B2

A composite laminate comprises first and second fiber beds, and an interlayer between the fiber beds. The interlayer includes toughened regions that extend between the fiber beds and are fused to the fiber beds.
US09821524B2

A method for manufacturing a raw blank of a tyre includes using a calender to produce a ply. The calender includes two rollers with a gap situated therebetween. A ply that includes a first rubber material is formed in the gap of the calender, with a bead of the first rubber material being formed upstream of the gap. The bead and the gap of the calender are fed with a second rubber material, different from the first rubber material, to form at least one insert in the ply.
US09821521B2

Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
US09821512B2

A two-component reactive dispensing system that is pliable is comprised of an outer sausage tubular member having therein an inner sausage tubular member in which the inner tubular member is bonded to the inner surface of the outer sausage tubular member longitudinally along a portion of the outer surface of the inner tubular sausage member. The compartments formed by the inner and outer tubular sausage members are filled with materials that are reactive with each other and the ends are sealed by gathering the ends and sealed using, for example wire wrap around clips.
US09821511B2

The present invention concerns an apparatus for ultrasonic welding of at least two material webs comprising a processing sonotrode which can be excited with an ultrasonic vibration, a processing counterpart tool and a material web guide which is so designed that the material web can be passed through between the processing sonotrode and the processing counterpart tool, in which there is provided a device for heating at least one material web prior to the welding operation. To provide an ultrasonic welding apparatus which avoids the stated disadvantages and which nonetheless provides a high processing speed it is proposed according to the invention that the device for preheating at least one material web has a preheating sonotrode which can be excited with an ultrasonic vibration.
US09821505B2

A generally hollow preform for making a stretch blow-molded container may include a threaded finish portion; a neck portion depending from the finish portion; a transition portion depending from the neck portion; a main portion depending from the transition portion; and a closed, generally rounded tip portion depending from the main portion. The preform may include stretch ratios with respect to the container including an axial stretch ratio of about 3.0 to 3.5, a hoop stretch ratio of about 5.0 to 5.5, and a total stretch ratio of about 15 to 19.25. In some embodiments, high stretch ratios may be achieved with less material, yielding substantial cost savings.
US09821504B2

This invention covers injection stretch blow molded articles prepared from polyethylene resin having a bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD), defined by the ratio of the weight average molecular weight (Mw) to the number average molecular weight (Mn), of from 2 to 20, comprising two polyethylene fractions A and B, fraction A being substantially free of comonomer and having a lower weight average molecular weight and a higher density than fraction B, each fraction prepared in different reactors of two reactors connected in series in the presence of a metallocene-containing catalyst system.
US09821501B2

Methods of producing a deformed porous hollow fiber membrane by thermally induced phase separation, particularly by discharging a fusion kneaded product containing a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid through an orifice of a hollow fiber-forming deformed nozzle; cooling and solidifying the fusion kneaded product discharged through the deformed nozzle to form the product into a hollow fiber-like material having a deformed cross section at a cross section vertical to a discharging direction; and extracting away the organic liquid from the hollow fiber-like material to obtain the deformed porous hollow fiber membrane, wherein an inorganic fine powder is kneaded in the fusion kneaded product.
US09821499B2

A method for producing multilayer objects from a polymer melt, especially in an injection mold, especially preforms having a barrier layer, wherein a viscosity, especially a shear speed, of the melt is determined. The viscosity, especially the shear speed, of at least one layer is determined in the injection mold and optionally monitored and/or regulated.
US09821498B2

In an injection molding method, using a heating cylinder having on the front end thereof a discharge nozzle, a single axis screw is rotatable inside the heating cylinder, a fiber-supplying device fills reinforcing fiber into the heating cylinder, and injection molding is performed while supplying the reinforcing fiber and the resin starting material separately and supplying the reinforcing fiber on the front side of the resin starting material. The method includes a plasticization process for obtaining a specified amount of a kneaded product by retracting the screw while rotating in the normal direction to melt the resin starting material and knead reinforcing fiber into the melted resin starting material, and an injection process for discharging the kneaded product from the discharge nozzle by advancing the screw. Reinforcing fiber is supplied into the heating cylinder in the injection process.
US09821491B2

A process for fabricating a partially polymerized prepreg material. Fibers are impregnated with thermosetting resin. The resin is partially polymerized to a degree of polymerization between 10% and 60%. The thermosetting composite parts are produced by drape forming of the prepreg material. The material laid-up in the form of tapes and heated at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the prepreg state. The laid-up material is pressed and cooled to return the laid-up material to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the prepreg state in question.
US09821486B2

An integrated station for extracting specimens suitable for viewing by a transmission electron microscope from a patterned semiconductor wafer, including a wafer cassette holder; a wafer transfer device; a nanomachining device, including a scanning electron microscope and a focused ion beam, a vacuum load lock and an operator control device, and wherein the operator control device notes locations of created lamellae; a plucker device; a control computer, adapted to control the wafer transfer device and the plucker device, commanding the plucker device to remover lamellae at the locations noted by the operator control device; and a user monitor and data input device, communicatively coupled to the computer. The wafer transfer device can transfer wafers from the wafer cassette holder to the vacuum load lock; from the vacuum load lock to the plucker device and from the plucker device to the wafer cassette holder.
US09821485B2

A cutting assembly for use in a hydro-cutting system in which water and food products are conveyed through tubes and the food products are sliced into smaller pieces. The cutting assembly includes multiple disks and U-shaped blades. Legs of the blades are mounted between the substantially parallel disks on opposite sides of the disks, thereby holding the blades in place. A rotationally-driven motor driveshaft extends through the assembly and the assembly is mounted in a tube. When the water and food products are conveyed into the cutting assembly, the rotating assembly slices pieces from the food product, and the pieces are separated from the water for later use or processing. The water can be used in another slicing cycle.
US09821478B2

A shaving apparatus, shaving head and/or at least one cutting unit for shaving both short and long hairs. The shaving apparatus, shaving head and/or at least one cutting unit includes an external cutting member and an internal cutting member movably arranged with respect to the external cutting member. A driver may be provided for moving the internal cutting member. The external cutting member is provided with a shaving section having two mutually connected lateral borders forming hair entry apertures. The internal cutting member is provided with cutting elements having cutting edges for cooperation with cutting edges of the external cutting member. A number of the hair entry apertures are formed by two substantially flat lamellae of the external cutting member which have free ends positioned between the borders of the shaving section.
US09821477B2

An apparatus for driving an articulating probe comprises an elongate probe constructed and arranged to articulate in at least one predetermined degree of motion and to transition from a flexible state to a rigid state, and a force transfer mechanism constructed and arranged to apply a force to the probe. The force is selected from the group consisting of a force that causes probe to articulate in the at least one predetermined degree of motion and a force that causes the probe to transition from the flexible state to the rigid state. The base structure is attached to portion of the force transfer mechanism and the elongate probe; the base structure comprising one or more stabilizing elements constructed and arranged to resist undesired movement of the probe caused by force from the force transfer mechanism.
US09821475B1

A robotic actuator comprises a mass manufactured bellows, wherein the mass manufactured bellows allows a volume change by localized bending, and wherein the mass manufactured bellows is formed from a material that has a higher strength in at least two axes relative to at most one other axis, and an end effector, wherein the end effector is coupled to the manufactured bellows.
US09821471B2

A hand intended for a humanoid robot comprising a palm and several fingers, each of the fingers being able to be displaced in relation to the palm between a position of rest maintained by spring effect and a compressed position obtained by driving a link part with the palm countering the spring effect, comprises a motorized shaft, linked to the link part of each of the fingers, and configured to respectively displace at least one first finger and at least one second finger, from the position of rest to the compressed position, by rotation of the motorized shaft respectively in a first direction of rotation and in an opposite direction.
US09821469B2

A carrier system is provided with a wafer stage which holds a mounted wafer and is also movable along an XY plane, a chuck unit which holds the wafer from above in a non-contact manner above a predetermined position and is vertically movable, and a plurality of vertical movement pins, which can support from below the wafer held by the chuck unit on the wafer stage when the wafer stage is positioned at the predetermined position above and can also move vertically. Then, flatness of the wafer is measured by a Z position detection system, and based on the measurement results, the chuck unit and the vertical movement pins that hold (support) the wafer are independently driven.
US09821467B2

An object pick-up system able to use a simpler configuration to place picked up objects at a predetermined location with the directions of the picked up objects aligned. The object pick-up system is provided with a robot hand, manipulator, vision sensor, arrangement determination part setting the position and posture of the robot hand when gripping an object, manipulator controller controlling the manipulator, and robot hand controller controlling the robot hand. The manipulator controller places the robot hand at a position and posture giving rise to a moment in the object. The robot hand controller prevents an object from dropping from the robot hand while the object is rotated by the action of gravity.
US09821465B2

An omnidirectional treadmill environment simulator is disclosed. The omnidirectional treadmill environment simulator includes a circular simulator stage area, a plurality of transport mechanisms that maintain an object at or near the center of a circular simulator stage area and at least one processor. The processor is configured to collect position data of the object and process the position data to control the transport mechanisms. Also included is a receiver for receiving data from a remote location and a terrain analysis computer for processing the data received from the remote location. The terrain analysis computer collects the data received from the remote location to form an accurate simulation of an upcoming condition at the remote location. The omnidirectional treadmill environment simulator includes a transmitter for transmitting the position data to a remote location.
US09821448B2

The ergonomic thermoluminescent dosimeter adapter provides ergonomic design that reduces the risk of repetitive motion injury. The ergonomic thermoluminescent dosimeter adapter includes a form fitting hand trigger and a handle portion mounted on a base. The handle portion has a slot adapted to receive the TLD tool. The TLD tool inserts into the adapter and fastening devices secure the TLD tool to the adapter. In operation, the adapter base is positioned on a flat surface such as a table and adjusted to a comfortable working height until the hand trigger is in a comfortable gripping position. The adapter is held with one hand and the hand trigger is squeezed with the other hand until the targeted TLD holder opens.
US09821444B2

A tool (10) for rotating a screw-on oil filter cartridge, the tool comprising a driving member (28, 28b); gripping jaws (12a, 12b) movable in relation to each other for gripping an oil filter cartridge; a guide arrangement (13, 14a, 14b) for guiding the gripping jaws; means (16a, 16b) for biasing the gripping jaws towards each other; and a driving mechanism (28, 28c, 24, 22a, 22b, 20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) coupled to the driving (28b) member and gripping jaws (12a, 12b) for converting rotation into movement of the gripping jaws towards each other, into engagement with an oil filter cartridge and applying either screwing or unscrewing torque thereto. The tool comprises: a locking mechanism (30, 32, 28, 24) for releasably locking the gripping jaws (12a, 12b) at a pre-determined distance from each other; and a release actuator (28a) for unlocking the locking mechanism and releasing of the gripping jaws.
US09821443B2

A ratchet wrench includes a ratchet wheel received in a handle and having an insertion hole. The ratchet wheel further includes an outer periphery having a toothed portion and a lower section below the toothed portion. The lower section includes an annular engagement groove and a cutout intercommunicating the annular engagement groove with the insertion hole. A clip includes a notch and has a diameter slightly smaller than a spacing between upper and lower wall faces of the annular engagement groove and larger than a depth of the annular engagement groove. The clip is not on the same plane when placed flat. The maximum width between an upper edge and a lower edge of the clip is slightly larger than the spacing between the upper and lower wall faces of the annular engagement groove. The clip includes an engagement section received in the cutout and extending into the insertion hole.
US09821434B2

In a trial peening step, a shot peening process is applied to a back face 40B of a mold 40 in which an opening of a closed-end water cooling hole 42 is formed. Next, in an evaluation step, compressive residual stress and surface roughness of a region shot-peened in the trial peening step are measured and an extent of shot peening treatment in the trial peening step is evaluated based on measurement results. Next, in a peening step, a surface of the water cooling hole 42 in the mold 40 is shot-peened under peening conditions set based on peening conditions for the trial peening step and on evaluation results produced in the evaluation step.
US09821432B2

An exchangeable abrasive mechanism or disc for use on abrasive-mechanism carriers having suction holes includes a plurality of through openings that each have a centroid. The through openings are differentiated into three groups that differ in the radial disposition of the centroids. A first group comprises at least one, but not more than four, through openings of a first cross section. At least two of the through openings of the first group are disposed on a first circumcircle diameter that is substantially identical to one of the hole-circle diameters such that, when the abrasive mechanism is correctly disposed on an abrasive-mechanism carrier, they are in direct alignment with and can overlap, two corresponding suction holes. A second group of through openings of a second, preferably smaller, cross section, comprises at least four through openings that are disposed on a second circumcircle diameter that differs from the first circumcircle diameter.
US09821425B2

A method for subcooling liquid cryogen that is used by a cutting tool uses the steps of dividing liquid phase cryogen between a subcooler feed line and tool feed line. The cryogen in the subcooler feed line is expanded to lower the pressure and decrease the temperature of the cryogen, and the expanded liquid cryogen from the subcooler feed line is added to the interior of a subcooler. A heat exchanger is positioned in the subcooler in contact with the expanded liquid cryogen. The cryogen in the tool feed line is subcooled below its saturation temperature by passing the cryogen through the heat exchanger, and the subcooled cryogen from the heat exchanger is supplied to the cutting tool. As a result, the subcooled cryogen supplied to the cutting tool is substantially 100% liquid cryogen without any vapor content.
US09821419B2

The method for manufacturing a heat exchanger plate includes a lid groove closing process to insert a lid plate into a lid groove formed at a periphery of a concave groove opening to a surface of a base member; and a primary joining process to perform friction stirring while relatively moving a primary joining rotary tool equipped with a stirring pin along a butting portion of a side wall of the lid groove and a side surface of the lid plate, and in the primary joining process, the rotating stirring pin is inserted into the butting portion, and the friction stirring is performed in a state of only the stirring pin being in contact with the base member and the lid plate.
US09821416B2

A mask assembly includes a mask frame having frame openings formed thereon, and a plurality of unit masks fixed to the mask frame. The respective unit masks extend in a first direction, and at least one of the plurality of unit masks includes at least one of a one sided projection projecting to one side thereof and another sided projection projecting to another side thereof, at both end portions of the unit mask, in a second direction that crosses the first direction.
US09821415B2

An internal heat exchanger (IHEX) for pipeline welding includes a drive system configured to move the IHEX into a position within at least one pipe section near a weld joint location with another pipe section. The IHEX further includes a cooling section including cooling structure configured to selectively cool one or more interior surface portions of the at least one pipe section, and a controller in communication with the cooling structure and configured to activate the cooling section when the IHEX is at the position within the at least one pipe section.
US09821414B2

An electrode (10) is presented including a sheath (14) formed of a ductile material, an outer coating (16) including a flux material, and a core (12) including at least one of flux material and alloying material. The ductile material may be an extrudable subset of elements of a desired superalloy material and the alloying material may include elements that complement the ductile material to form a desired superalloy material when the electrode is melted. The outer coating may be formed of a flexible bonding material or it may be segmented (18, 20) to facilitate bending the electrode onto a spool. Any hygroscopic material of the electrode may be included in the core to protect it from exposure to atmospheric moisture.
US09821410B2

A system can include a controller; a force applicator; a rotatable shaft centering collet; a drive mechanism that rotates the rotatable shaft centering collect; and a laser beam unit.
US09821409B2

A laser cutting method and a laser cutting apparatus cut a metallic work with a laser beam of a one-micrometer waveband. The method and apparatus carry out the laser cutting of the work with a ring beam RB passed through a focus position of a condenser lens 13 and having inner and outer diameters that tend to expand. The outer diameter of the ring beam is in a range of 300 μm (micrometers) to 600 μm, an inner diameter ratio of the same is in a range of 30 % to 70 %, and a focal depth of the condenser lens is in a range of 2 mm to 5 mm.
US09821403B2

Methods and systems for no-glue pocketed spring unit construction. Rows of pocketed springs, preferably arranged into modules of more than two pocketed springs surrounding a central hole, are ultrasonically welded together when paired vibrating probes and anvils press layers of pocketed spring fabric from the rows of pocketed springs together and a welding pulse is transmitted to the vibrating probe.
US09821399B1

Provided are a systems and methods for continuously providing a metal wire to a welding torch in the correct orientation with respect to the heat source of the welding torch for manufacturing objects by solid freeform fabrication to provide continuous deposition of metal to the freeform object, especially objects made with titanium or titanium alloy, or nickel or nickel alloy, wire.
US09821396B2

The present disclosure provides a plow blade edge device for mounting to a moldboard of a plow comprising at least one adapter blade including a bottom edge having selectively carbide insert(s) along at least a portion of the bottom edge. The disclosure further provides for a method of brazing the carbide insert(s) in a cavity along at least a portion of the bottom edge. The device further includes at least one wear block selectively reversible to present the adapter blade at a first angle or a second angle. The at least one wear block can include a bottom edge having a carbide insert along at least a portion of the bottom edge.
US09821380B1

A hole saw assembly having a drive shaft, drive disk and hole saw blade. The drive disk has a plurality of radially extending projections that engage with engagement slots in the side of the hole saw blade.
US09821372B2

A method for producing a composite material includes providing a composition comprising at least one hardness carrier and a base binder alloy, and sintering the composition. The base binder alloy comprises from 66 to 93 wt.-% of nickel, from 7 to 34 wt.-% of iron, and from 0 to 9 wt.-% of cobalt, wherein the wt.-% proportions of the base binder alloy add up to 100 wt.-%.
US09821369B2

Rolling method for the production of flat products with low productivity, which includes a continuous casting step at a speed between 3.5 m/min and 6 m/min of a thin slab with a thickness between 25 and 50 mm. It also includes a roughing step to reduce the thickness in at least one roughing stand to a value between 6 mm and 40 mm, and suitable for winding, a rapid heating step by means of induction in order to at least restore the temperature lost in the segment downstream of casting and in the roughing step, a winding/unwinding step in a winding/unwinding device with two mandrels. The method also includes a rolling step in a rolling unit that consists of a single reversing stand of the Steckel type to roll the product unwound by the winding/unwinding device.
US09821366B2

A method of manufacturing a disc brake rotor comprises preparing at least one elongated plate having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a longitudinal direction of the at least one elongated plate. The method comprises bending the at least one elongated plate in an arc shape.
US09821363B2

A radial compression mechanism includes a constraining structure with a cut-out defined by a plurality of bearing surfaces. A plurality of die are carried by the constraining structure and arranged in a circular pattern about a central axis. Each die has a base side positioned in parallel juxtaposition to a corresponding bearing surface and each die is constrained to move reciprocally and linearly along the corresponding bearing surface. Working surfaces of the plurality of die cooperate to form a cavity that is movable between an open position and a closed position. A driving mechanism is coupled to at least one of the plurality of die to drive all of the die in unison between the open position and the closed position.
US09821360B2

There is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a thin uneven member. The apparatus includes a lower die fixed to a press bed, an upper die fixed to a ram and disposed opposed to the lower die, and a pressure-drive unit which presses the ram using a servo motor as a power source, the servo motor being fixed to a first support member. The pressure-drive unit includes a motion converting mechanism which converts a rotation of the servo motor to a linear motion of a lifting member, and a cylinder block connected and fixed to the first support member and including first and second pistons arranged in series vertically, wherein the first piston is connected to the lifting member through a second support member, and the second piston, larger in diameter than the first piston, presses the ram.
US09821351B2

A fume extraction hood is designed to be positioned above a welding, cutting, or other metal-working location and to remove hot gases, smoke and fumes produced during these processes. The hood forms a box-like structure with an extractor rail structure disposed in an internal volume of the hood. The extractor rail structure comprises panels that force sharp turns in the gases, causing particulate matter to drop out of the gases both outside and inside the extractor rail. A primary path for gases accelerates and re-directs the gases entering into the extractor rail, and within the rail. The rail may form a dropout tray that can be removed for cleanout of collected particulate. The side and end rails of the hood may create a secondary path for gas not directly intaken into the extractor rail. This secondary path is re-directed towards the extractor rail, where gas is collected and particulate is forced to drop out as it joins the primary path.
US09821348B2

A method for cleaning an edge of a semiconductor wafer in a wafer edge exposure (WEE) apparatus includes positioning the semiconductor wafer having a resist thereon in a wafer positioning device. A brush bar is positioned adjacent a backside of the semiconductor wafer in the wafer positioning device. The brush bar engages and cleans a backside of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is disposed in the wafer positioning device. A height of an edge of the semiconductor wafer is detected. The focusing position of exposure light radiated toward the edge is controlled on the basis of a height of the edge. Exposure light is radiated towards an edge after the cleaning step.
US09821347B2

Disclosed is an optical connector cleaning tool including: a tool body; and an extended part that extends from the tool body and that has a head for pressing a cleaning element against an optical connector, the extended part being provided so as to be movable with respect to the tool body. The optical connector is cleaned with the cleaning element by moving the tool body toward the extended part in a state where the cleaning element is pressed against the optical connector with the head. The tool body includes: a take-up reel that, in accordance with the movement of the tool body with respect to the extended part, takes up the cleaning element which has been sent out from the head; and a take-up amount adjustment mechanism that makes constant the take-up amount of the take-up reel per single cleaning operation.
US09821339B2

A method to fabricate hierarchical graded materials includes providing a reservoir of functionalized particles, mixing at least some of the functionalized particles using a mixer in the print head having a mixed fluid volume control on an order of a voxel to produce mixed functionalized particles, and actuating a print head to deposit the mixed functionalized particles on a substrate.
US09821337B2

An integrated liquidjet system capable of stripping, prepping and coating a part includes a cell defining an enclosure, a jig for holding the part inside the cell, an ultrasonic nozzle having an ultrasonic transducer for generating a pulsed liquidjet, a coating particle source for supplying coating particles to the nozzle, a pressurized liquid source for supplying the nozzle with a pressurized liquid to enable the nozzle to generate the pulsed liquidjet to sequentially strip, prep and coat the part, a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode inside the nozzle for charging the coating particles, and a human-machine interface external to the cell for receiving user commands and for controlling the pulsed liquidjet exiting from the nozzle in response to the user commands.
US09821329B2

An air-conductive rotary sprinkler includes an air-conductive rotary sprinkling device, a fluid supply assembly and a dust-collecting cover. The air-conductive rotary sprinkling device further includes a main housing tube, an inner rotary tube and a rotary spray head. The rotary spray head includes a spray-head casing connected with the inner rotary tube and a guide plug installed inside the spray-head casing and further including a helical actuating groove, a helical conductive groove, a central channel and a sideway channel. The dust-collecting cover is assembled to the air-conductive rotary sprinkling device. The pressured airflow from the helical air channel rotates the rotary spray head, and the pressured airflow from the helical conductive channel also alters the spray direction of the fluid originally flowing along the base axis, such that the fluid can be sprayed out of the rotary spray head in a rotary manner.
US09821328B2

A sprinkler with adjustable fan angle of water sprayed is revealed. The adjustable fan angle of water sprayed means a fan area of the water sprayed is adjusted and changed. The sprinkler includes a housing, a receiving seat and a sprinkler head. The sprinkler head consists of a base seat, a collar member and an adjustment member. The fan angle of the water sprayed can be manually operated and changed by rotating the adjustment member.
US09821324B2

A conformal, cup-shaped fluidic nozzle engineered to generate an oscillating spray is configured as a (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700). Preferably, the fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry 710 is molded directly into the cup's interior wall surfaces and the one-piece fluidic cup may then fitted into an actuator (e.g., 340). The fluidic cup (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700) conforms to the actuator stem used in typical aerosol sprayers and trigger sprayers and so replaces the prior art “swirl cup” 70 that goes over the actuator stem (e.g., 320), With the fluidic cup (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700) and method of the present invention, vendors of liquid products and fluids sold in commercial aerosol sprayers 20 and trigger sprayers 800 can now provide very specifically tailored or customized sprays.
US09821322B2

A centrifugal separator for separating non-gaseous particles from a gas flow having a separator housing enclosing a rotor with a raw gas inlet, a clean gas outlet, and a particle outlet. A circumferential wall encloses the rotor. A raw gas flow is guided axially into the rotor. A clean gas flow is guided out of the rotor and then between the rotor and the circumferential wall to the clean gas outlet. The rotor comprises particle separation elements so that particles separated from the gas flow are centrifuged onto the circumferential wall. The circumferential wall particles are guided to the particle outlet via at least one particle guide trough running diagonal to the rotor axial direction on the interior of the circumferential wall. A radius of each trough as well as the distance between the rotor and the circumferential wall decreases in the direction of the clean gas flow.
US09821320B2

An emissions reduction stack includes a conditioning section, collector section utilizing a Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP), and output section. A chemically active aqueous stream is introduced into an incoming process stream in order to saturate the stream and produce a fog stream wherein water is condensed on the surface of particulates. The process of condensation increases the efficiency of the particulate filtration process conducted by the WESP.
US09821319B2

Magnetic filter systems may be constructed with various arrangements of permanent magnets, including but not limited to checkerboard and spiral arrangements. When coupled to a conventional filter, exemplary magnetic filter systems capture ferrous particulates against the outer wall of the conventional filter by magnetic attraction, thereby reducing the number of particulates in a fluid stream and improving the quality of the filtered fluid.
US09821313B2

A method and apparatus for opening a reaction vessel having a body forming a volume for liquid, and a lid. In the method at least one reaction vessel is placed on a transport vehicle and the reaction vessel is positioned on the vehicle so that the vessel's rotation about its own axis is prevented. Then, the at least one reaction vessel is transferred on the vehicle and a guide rod, attached to the lid that is attached by a hinge to the reaction vessel, is pushed by the movement of the vehicle against a guide surface that forces the lid to turn on the hinge so that the lid is at least partially opened.
US09821312B2

The present invention provides a microfluidic system, method and kit for performing assays. The system may comprise a microfluidic device and a detector, wherein the assay yields results that may be read by a detector and analyzed by the system. The assay may comprise one or more chemical or biological reaction against, or performed on, a sample or multiple samples. The sample(s) may become larger and/or smaller during the performance of the assay. The sample(s) may be present within a vehicle, or on a carrier within a vehicle, in the microfluidic device, and wherein the vehicle may become larger and/or smaller during the performance of the assay. The assay may be a cascading assay comprising a series of multiple assays, wherein each assay may be the same or different, and wherein each assay in the series of multiple assays may further comprise one or more process or step.
US09821307B2

Some embodiments of the invention provide a disposable cartridge for rapidly metering a sample for measuring a property of the sample. The cartridge can receive a sample when it is in an unsealed configuration, and a cap is used to facilitate metering of the sample and sealing the cartridge. When the cartridge is in a sealed configuration, pressurised air is used to push the metered sample into a chamber containing at least one reagent, and subsequently into a detection chamber for measuring the property of the sample.
US09821305B2

The invention relates to a pipetting device for automatic analysis instruments and a method for heating a volume of liquid in a heated pipetting needle.
US09821302B2

The invention relates to a hydrocarbon hydroprocessing catalyst comprising a support based on at least one refractory oxide, at least one metal from group VIII and at least one metal from group VIB. The inventive catalyst is characterized in that it also comprises at least one organic compound having formula (I) or (II): in which each R1 represents independently an alkyl group at C1-18, an alkenyl group at C2-18, an aryl group at C6-18, a cycloalkyl group at C3-8, an alkylaryl or arylalkyl group at C7-20, or the two R1 groups together form a divalent group at C2-18, and R2 represents an alkylene group at C1-18, an arylene group at C6-18, a cycloalkylene group at C3-7, or a combination of same. The invention also relates to a method of preparing one such catalyst and to the use thereof for hydroprocessing or hydrocracking.
US09821292B2

A hydrocarbon removal apparatus includes a plurality of fibers and a backing substrate. Each of the plurality of fibers includes a proximal end and a distal end. Each proximal end is secured to the backing substrate.
US09821288B2

An apparatus and method for delivery of additives(s), e.g., catalyst, co-catalyst, scavengers, and/or other reaction- or product-modifying agents, to a reaction or mixing site, such as a reaction vessel, offers the capability for multi-additive delivery and customization of additive selection, flow and flow rate, and if desired, mixing thereof, without production train shutdowns. The invention includes at least two additive sources that are detachably connected, with conduit, to the reaction or mixing site, and a process control means, preferably automated, that is capable of initiating, terminating, and determining the rate of flow from the additive sources.
US09821285B2

A method for providing 11C-labeled cyanides from 11C labeled oxides in a target gas stream retrieved from an irradiated high pressure gaseous target containing O2, wherein 11C labeled oxides are reduced with H2 in the presence of a nickel catalyst under a pressure and a temperature sufficient to form a product stream comprising at least about 95% 11CH4, the 11CH4 is then combined with an excess of NH3 in a carrier/reaction stream flowing at an accelerated velocity and the combined 11CH4 carrier/reaction stream is then contacted with a platinum (Pt) catalyst particulate supported on a substantially-chemically-nonreactive heat-stable support at a temperature of at least about 900° C., whereby a product stream comprising at least about 60% H11CN is provided in less than 10 minutes from retrieval of the 11C labeled oxide.
US09821280B2

The present invention discloses a system for introducing a gas into a contained media such as a pond or lake. Water is removed from the media, gas introduced, and then the water removed to the contained media.
US09821279B2

Diffusion device intended to accept a flanged capsule containing a product that is to be diffused comprising a body, a bearing surface borne by the body directly or indirectly, an outlet passage for letting product out of the capsule, a knob mounted with the ability to rotate on the body, the knob comprising an upper part projecting axially beyond the bearing surface, the knob and the bearing surface being mounted with the capacity for helicoidal rotation relative to one another, a closure movement of the knob being able to bring the lower face of a rim of the device to face the bearing surface, the closure movement of the knob comprising a rotational movement of the knob with respect to the body causing a helicoidal movement between the knob and the bearing surface that is able to bring a lower face of the rim and the bearing surface closer together.
US09821275B2

The disclosure relates to a system and method for cleaning filters, such as membrane filters. More particularly, a method and system are disclosed for retaining a plurality of small particulates, preferably in the shape of beads, which contact sludge or other despots on the membrane filters to remove unwanted debris that would otherwise form on the cleaning filters. In various embodiments, the plurality of small particulates are retained in a permeable enclosure formed of wedgewire.
US09821274B1

A hybrid diafiltration system includes an intermediate tank, a feed pump and a single-pass concentration (SPC) module, feed and product flow diverting valves to affect a multi-step concentration, wash and final-concentration process with fewer recirculation passes than conventional systems.
US09821266B2

A pressure swing absorption apparatus, including: at least four beds that each include an absorbent material, wherein the at least four beds are configured to rotate and are grouped such that members of one group only have fluid interconnections with members of another group; and a control system that controls a flow rate of a fluid communication between at least two of the beds by adjusting a phase angle difference between the at least two of the beds.
US09821262B2

An air cleaner and a method for controlling an air cleaner are provided. The air cleaner may include a first air cleaning module having a first fan and a first filter; a second air cleaning module having a second fan and a second filter, the second air cleaning module provided vertically over the first air cleaning module; an air flow controller provided at an upper side of the second air cleaning module and including a circulation fan; a sensor configured to sense a pollution level in a room space; an input configured to receive input of a command for an operation mode of a plurality of operation modes to operate the first and second air cleaning modules and the air flow controller; and a controller configured to drive at least one of the first fan, the second fan, or the circulation fan selectively and determine an amount of discharge air flow. Based on at least one of an operation mode input or the pollution level, the controller may operate one of (1) the first fan, (2) the first and second fans, (3) the first and second fans and the circulation fan, or (4) the second fan and the circulation fan.
US09821260B2

An air treatment system having an improved control system. The control system may include a dynamic “dead front” display that varies the display based on mode of operation. The display may include capacitive touch sensors and include an array of capacitive film segments or traces integrated into the display. The control system may include a self-contained electronics module that can be tested and calibrated before installation in the ATS. A dust sensor assembly may be integrated into the electronics module. The front cover may be attached with a mechanical attachment at the top and a magnetic attachment on the bottom. The ATS may include a filter retainer assembly with a rotating clip configured to perform in a cam-like manner to firmly clamp the particulate filter and carbon filter in place.
US09821258B2

Provided is a cartridge assembly having first and second cartridges sealed by an interface member having a first sealing member along a radially outer surface thereof having a non-planar geometry around the outer surface and a second sealing member along the radially outer surface having a non-planar geometry around the outer surface. The sealing members may each have a repeating, undulating, non-planar geometry around the outer surface. The cartridges have ends with matching geometries to allow the cartridges to engage in surface-to-surface relation around their entire extents to create with the interface member an air tight seal.
US09821252B2

A system including a vessel with at least two fluid inlets and a fluid outlet wherein one fluid inlet is positioned higher in the vessel than the other fluid inlet is provided. The fluid inlets may be connected to a polymerization reactor and each fluid inlet may be configured to deliver fluid to the vessel from a different zone of the polymerization reactor. During shut-down of a polymerization reactor, reaction mixture is discharged to a separation system where polymer particles are removed from the mixture prior to being released into the atmosphere.
US09821250B2

In a preparative separation-purification system for passing a solution containing a target component through a trap column to capture the target component in the column, and for subsequently passing an eluting solvent through the column to elute the captured component and collect it in a container, a dilution passage is merged with a collection passage for sending an eluate from the outlet end of the trap column to the collection container, and a diluting liquid is intermittently introduced through the dilution passage into the collection passage. The diluting liquid lowers the concentration of the target component in the eluate and impedes the deposition of the target component. Thus, clogging of the passage due to the deposition of the target component eluted from the trap column is effectively prevented.
US09821243B2

The invention relates to producing kits for games and souvenirs. The invention consists in a node for connecting moving elements thereof in order to perform a connecting action using two groups of components. A first group of components and a second group of components are connected by means of inserting protrusions, which are positioned along opposing edges of at least two individual components of the second group, in at least two rectangular connecting apertures of one of the individual components of the first group, and which are disposed symmetrically relative to a central aperture on each of the individual components of the first group. The second group of components contains at least two individual components which are made in the form of symmetrical pairs. The result consists in the fastest and most-reliable assembly of the node.
US09821237B2

Character-based electronic devices, systems, and methods of using the same are described. More particularly, character-based electronic devices having an actuator are described. An exemplary character-based electronic device comprises a housing, an actuator, a communication bus (e.g., USB hub), a component, and a light source. The component is attached to the communication bus and the actuator such that movement of the actuator relative to the housing alters a condition of the component.
US09821226B2

An image such as a depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A grid of voxels may then be generated based on the depth image such that the depth image may be downsampled. A background included in the grid of voxels may also be removed to isolate one or more voxels associated with a foreground object such as a human target. A location or position of one or more extremities of the isolated human target may be determined and a model may be adjusted based on the location or position of the one or more extremities.
US09821211B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining a score for a user of a gaming platform such that the score reflects the user's success rate in calling plays in a sporting event. A computing device receives a user profile including a coach score and initiates a sequence of states in response to a start of a real-time football game play. The sequence of states include a poll creation state, a first notification state, a coach pick state, a fan voting state, a second notification state, and a play in action state. The computing device calculates a field score associated with the real-time play based on an on-field result. The computing device determines a coach score based on a fan vote and at least one of a coach pick, a winning play, and the field score, and outputs content to the registered user computing device related to the coach score.
US09821200B1

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, a plurality of ports on the bottom portion and a plurality of inner support portions in the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09821193B2

Multi-piece golf balls containing a multi-layered core structure are provided. The core structure includes a small, heavy inner core (center) having a relatively high specific gravity, an intermediate core layer, and a surrounding outer core layer. The layers of the core structure may have different hardness gradients. The center of the core comprises a metal material such as copper, steel, brass, tungsten, titanium, aluminum, and alloys thereof dispersed in a thermoset polymeric matrix. The intermediate core layer is preferably formed from a first thermoplastic composition such as an ethylene acid copolymer ionomer resin; and the outer core layer is preferably formed from a second thermoplastic composition. The resulting ball has high resiliency and good spin control.
US09821190B2

An exercise mat includes a fabric layer defining opposing first surface and second surface, an anti-slip strip of a predetermined width and in a predetermined pattern covered over a part of the first surface of the fabric layer so that the first surface of the fabric layer defines one or multiple exposed portions beyond the anti-slip strip, and an elastic cushion layer covered over the second surface of the fabric layer. The anti-slip strip is a continuous one-piece member defining two opposite lateral portions and a middle portion at different elevations. The fabric layer defines a plurality of local areas in the first surface. At least one exposed portion and a part of the anti-slip strip exist in each local area within a surface area approximately equal to the surface area of the palm of an adult.
US09821187B2

An exercise equipment configured to exercise muscles by require the muscles to generate torque intermittently is provided. The exercise equipment includes a sleeve. A pipe is slidably disposed within the sleeve. The sleeve is concentric to the pipe wherein the outer surface of the pipe is spaced apart the inner surface of the sleeve. A counterweight is mounted to at least one end of the pipe wherein the rotation of the pipe along an orbital path causes the pipe to turn within the bore of the sleeve. The turning of the pipe is a result of the counterweights completing a revolution as the counterweights rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The turning of the pipe generates a pulse so as to actuate muscular structure within the body of the user.
US09821186B2

A multifunctional kinetic mechanism includes a base including a slant tube, a counterweight unit including a joint shaft rotatably connected to the slant tube of the base, a barbell shaft having a first end piece connected to the joint shaft and a second end piece opposite to the first end piece and a counterweight attached to the second end piece of the barbell shaft, and an operating bar connected to the second end piece of the barbell shaft. Thus, by multi-directional operation of the joint shaft, a user can operate the operating bar to move the barbell shaft and the counterweight in exercising operational modes of squatting, lunging and arm lifting to train different muscle groups.
US09821185B2

A core muscle exercising and resistance training device includes a weighted bar having opposed bar ends adapted to removably mount at least one weight or other force generating element. A pad element is removably and frictionally mounted on the bar, the pad element being constructed from a lightweight foam material having a density within a specific range. The pad has an outer surface with a radius of curvature substantially the same as a normal cervical curvature. In use, the outer pad surface is placed adjacent a user's cervical curve and the weighted bar, the additional isometric resistance generating elements and the pad element act in combination to apply a force upon the user's core cervical curve muscles for improving the user's cervical curve posture by gradually modifying the cervical curvature to conform with clinically desirable curvature.
US09821180B2

A fire suppressant system is a device that uses steam/super-heated water to suppress and put out fires rather than the traditional water method. The invention uses steam/super-heated water under high pressure to blow out and suppress the fire. The wet pressurized steam/super-heated water “blows out” the fire and the pressure removes (displaces) the oxygen and spark needed for the fire to continue burning. The wet steam/super-heated water works much like water to suppress and put out the fire but the additional benefits of the pressure help to reduce the fuel (air and spark) for the fire as well.
US09821174B1

An implant planning system aids delivery of radiation to tumor sites of a patient. The system allows a user to test various combinations of virtual implants, each associated with a corresponding physical implant (e.g., a carrier with an embedded radioactive seed), and to view the dosage area of the virtual implants so that adjustments to the virtual implants may be made until a prescribed dose of radiation to a treatment area is achieved. A treatment plan developed based on the virtual implants may then be used in surgical implantation of the corresponding physical implants. For example, the implant configuration of the treatment plan may be projected onto a treatment surface of a patient, such as in a surgical room, so that physical implants may be placed according to the projected image of the virtual implants.
US09821168B2

Disclosed is a device having an oscillator and high voltage transformer connected to a glass-like tube filled with an inert gas or a mixture of inert gasses. The tube is located at the end of a wand having a handle. The output of the transformer is an RF high voltage signal. The output of the transformer is fed to the tube through a high voltage wire, where the signal excites the gas to produce a plasma-like beam. The tube is then applied to a patient's skin to aid in healing and the relief of additional ailments. The field generated by the tube interacts with the cells in the patient to increase transmembrane potential, stimulate ATP production, and inject negative ions and ozone into the surface of the user's skin to combat infection and disease.
US09821165B2

Apparatus comprising (1) a breathing sensor, configured to detect a breathing-related factor of a subject; (2) at least a first electrode configured to be placed in a vicinity of a respective first hypoglossal nerve, and to be driven, in response to the detected breathing-related factor, to apply a first electrical current to the first hypoglossal nerve; (3) at least a second electrode configured to be placed in a vicinity of a respective second hypoglossal nerve, and to be driven, in response to the detected breathing-related factor, to apply a second electrical current to the second hypoglossal nerve; and (4) circuitry configured to, in response to a detected symmetry-related factor indicative of a degree of symmetry of the subject, configure at least one current selected from the group consisting of: the first current and the second current. Other embodiments are also described.
US09821153B2

The invention relates to a device for the punctual stimulation of endings, located in the region of the ears, of nerves leading to brain stem nuclei, and device (1) having a battery-powered therapeutic current generator (3), which is arranged in a housing (2) to be worn in the ear region and is provided with an electronic circuit that forms a low-frequency therapeutic current, and said device also having at least one flexible line (5) proceeding from the therapeutic current generator (3) for connecting to an electrode to be positioned at a nerve ending and having a base electrode (7), which is likewise connected to the therapeutic current generator and by means of which the therapeutic circuit leading across the former electrode is closed, wherein the device (1), at least by means of an external part of said device (1), can be adapted to the shape of the body point of patient intended for the positioning of the device due to a mechanically pliable structure.
US09821148B2

A balloon catheter includes a catheter tube and an inflatable balloon. The ends of the balloon are attached to the catheter tube. The outside surface of the balloon in an uninflated state is provided with a relief structure which in an inflated state of the balloon is substantially disappeared. A method for producing such a relief structure is by winding a wire helically around the outer surface of the balloon.
US09821145B2

Devices and methods for performing a transseptal puncture procedure using a device which includes either an untapered or tapered blunt end cannula disposed in an introducer carrying a sharp guidewire disposed longitudinally through the lumen of the blunt cannula, and a blunt end dilator wherein the guidewire is flexible and has an atraumatic shape at its tip. The cannula gives the more flexible introducer a defined shape and steerabilty allowing an ordinarily skilled physician to easily access a selected location on the septal wall of the heart for transseptal puncture and introducer placement thereacross without employing an exposed sharp end needle during the procedure.
US09821144B2

In one form, a direction changing device is provided including: a first mounting section; and a second mounting section, wherein an axial direction of the first mounting section and an axial direction of the second mounting section intersect each other or are parallel to each other in plan view, and in a condition where a catheter or a sheath introducer in which the catheter is inserted is mounted to the first mounting section and the second mounting section, the catheter or the sheath introducer adopts a curved shape such that a catheter or sheath introducer portion mounted to the first mounting section extends proximally to distally in one direction and a catheter or sheath introducer portion mounted to the second mounting section extends proximally to distally in another direction with the directions being different from each other.
US09821143B2

An MR compatible steerable sheath with elastomeric member is provided. The elastomeric member is configured to serve as a reservoir and receive contrast media therewithin. The elastomeric member is positioned on the distal end of the steerable sheath and may circumferentially surround the sheath shaft or be offset from a longitudinal axis thereof. In operation, the contrast media allows a user to view the distal tip of the steerable sheath by virtue of the contrast media contained within the elastomeric member.
US09821141B2

The present invention provides a catheter for use in delivering and/or recovering materials to and/or from a tissue site in the body, the catheter comprising one or more macroporous regions adapted to selectively deliver molecules and/or recover cells from the tissue site, based on one or more physical-chemical-biological characteristics. The macroporous region can be provided in the form of a helical hollow wires, and can be adapted to both recover cells from the tissue site (e.g., bacterial or other cells present in interstitial fluid) and optionally to permit the infusion of medicament to the site, under corresponding conditions.
US09821140B2

A variable diameter tube for use in a vessel inserter for performing hemodynamics researches and related operations comprises two coupled different-characteristic materials which are coupled to one another to provide a single stretchable tube assembly.
US09821136B2

A respiratory assistance device 10 includes: a mask 13 having an expiratory hole 13a; an expiratory valve 15 provided in the mask 13, for opening and closing the expiratory hole 13a; and a control unit 17 for performing overall control on the entire device. The mask 13 and the expiratory valve 15 together form an opening and closing device. The expiratory valve 15 is deformable by deformation of a piezo element 15a. The expiratory valve 15 is disposed on an inner surface 13f so that a deformation direction thereof, i.e., a thickness direction thereof, extends along the inner surface 13f of the mask 13 and a side surface 15m slides along the inner surface 13f by the deformation thereof.
US09821134B2

An elbow assembly for use in a respiratory mask, which includes an elbow, an inlet port, an exhaust port, and a baffle separating the inlet port from the exhaust port. A mask assembly includes a cushion comprising at least one gusset and an aperture for connection to the elbow assembly.
US09821127B2

A child-resistant closure system for a container comprises a protective cap, a dispensing tip, and a cylindrical base. The dispensing tip includes a pair of buttons adapted to control whether the dispensing tip is in a locked condition so as to prevent actuation or an unlocked condition so as to permit actuation, via the shoulders, of a sprayer pump unit that is partially contained within the dispensing tip. The cylindrical base has a pair of spaced apart upwardly extending legs. In an locked condition of the dispensing tip, the upwardly extending legs are not aligned with slots defined in a horizontal circumferential portion of the dispensing tip such that downward movement of the dispensing tip in relation to the base is blocked by the upwardly extending legs to prohibit actuation of the sprayer pump unit and to lock the dispensing tip.
US09821122B2

Various handheld medical dispensing configurations and methods including the following: Handheld medical dispensing system comprises a syringe, which has a plunger, releasably mounted to syringe actuation apparatus, the apparatus having an actuator configured such that it can move the plunger more than once to dispense a plurality of amounts of substance from the syringe. A method of dispensing fluid from a syringe comprises holding a medical substance delivery system including a syringe, which has a needle, and which is secured to syringe actuation apparatus configured to dispense predetermined amounts of the substance from the syringe, penetrating the needle at one patient site and using the apparatus to deliver a predetermined amount of the substance, and penetrating the needle at another patient site and using the apparatus to deliver a predetermined amount of the substance.
US09821121B2

The invention relates to an injection unit, preferably a pen-shaped injection unit, for administering or delivering a fluid product. The injection unit comprises a housing, an axially movable piston rod mounted in the housing in a non-rotatable manner, a delivery apparatus having a threaded nut that is able to move the piston rod in order to deliver product, a dosing device having a dosing sleeve, a rotary knob, a discharge button arranged coaxially on the dosing sleeve, and a receptacle for the product. The dosing device is connected to the delivery apparatus via a coupling mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism includes of at least two coupling surfaces that each carry a toothing comprising teeth, wherein the coupling surfaces are used to generate an acoustic and/or tactile signal corresponding to the set or corrected dose of the product to be administered during the dosing operation or during correction of the dose.
US09821117B2

Exemplary embodiments provide wearable automatic injection devices for subcutaneously injecting a therapeutic agent into a patient's body at controlled rates, for example, in a single bolus. Exemplary embodiments provide methods for assembling wearable automatic injection devices for subcutaneously injecting a therapeutic agent into a patient's body at controlled rates. Exemplary embodiments provide methods for using wearable automatic injection devices for subcutaneously injecting a therapeutic agent into a patient's body at controlled rates.
US09821112B2

A mechanism for transferring energy from an external power source to an implantable medical device is disclosed. A sensor may be used to measure a parameter that correlates to a temperature of the system that occurs during the transcutaneous coupling of energy. For example, the sensor may measure temperature of a surface of an antenna of the external power source. The measured parameter may then be compared to a programmable limit. A control circuit such as may be provided by the external power source may then control the temperature based on the comparison. The programmable limit may be, for example, under software control so that the temperature occurring during transcutaneous coupling of energy may be modified to fit then-current circumstances.
US09821109B2

Apparatus and methods for providing extracorporeal blood circulation and oxygenation control include multi-stage de-airing of blood to provide automated cardiopulmonary replacement to preserve the viability or one or more organs in a clinically dead organ donor or harvested donor organ for subsequent transplantation to an organ receiver patient.
US09821107B2

This invention relates to dialysis systems and methods. In some implementations, a method includes applying vacuum pressure to a device of a dialysis system, and then determining, based on a detected fluid level or measured pressure, whether the device is functioning properly.
US09821099B2

An artificial-blood-vessel connector includes: a connector portion which includes a first cylindrical body portion where a male threaded portion and a flat surface portion where the male threaded portion is not formed are alternately formed along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface, and a second cylindrical body portion to be fitted inside an artificial blood vessel; a ferrule which includes a cylindrical portion to be fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical body portion by way of the artificial blood vessel by being made to slide linearly on a surface of the artificial blood vessel, and a pawl plate portion in contact with the flat surface portion of the first cylindrical body portion; and a nut threadedly engageable with the male threaded portion of the first cylindrical body portion in a state where the nut covers the ferrule.
US09821085B2

The present disclosure relates to bone cement formulations that have an extended working time for use in vertebroplasty procedures and other osteoplasty procedures together with cement injectors that include energy delivery systems for on-demand control of cement viscosity and flow parameters. The bone cement formulations may include a liquid component having at least one monomer and a non-liquid component including polymer particles and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The non-liquid component may be further configured to allow controlled exposure of the BPO to the liquid monomer so as to enable control of the viscosity of the bone cement composition.
US09821084B2

Compositions comprising clay minerals and methods for their use in promoting hemostasis are provided. The compositions comprise clay minerals such as bentonite, and facilitate blood clotting when applied to a hemorrhaging wound. Electrospun or electrosprayed materials (e.g. bandages, micron beads, etc.) which include clay minerals, and methods for the treatment of acute hemorrhage, are also provided.
US09821064B2

Disclosed herein is a formulation capable of enhancing thermostability and shelf-life of a biological product, the formulation comprising: a tertiary amine N-oxide or a derivative thereof represented by the formulae: wherein R1, R2, and R3 may be identical or different and each is a straight or branched lower alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; an inorganic salt; glutamic acid or a salt thereof; a polyol; a physiologically acceptable buffer, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The tertiary amine N-oxide may be trimethylamine-N-oxide, (CH3)3NO. The formulation is useful for vaccine stabilization.
US09821063B2

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising an aminoglycosidic antibiotic and at least one zinc-chelating agent in a specified concentration, and methods of inhibiting bacterial colonization, biofilm formation and if treating bacterial infections utilizing the compositions are provided. Topical formulations suitable for wound care, and surface-applicable formulations suitable for medical, industrial and household disinfecting needs are also described.
US09821060B2

A heat-sensitive system comprising at least one nanoparticle bound covalently to at least one thermolabile molecule comprising an azo —N═N— functional group —N═N— in turn bound covalently to at least one active molecule selected from a fluorophore molecule and a drug is disclosed. The system converts an electromagnetic radiation into thermal energy exposed to an alternating magnetic field. Uses of the system are also disclosed.
US09821059B2

The present invention relates to a composition for stabilizing TNFα-binding protein exhibiting physiological activity, and more specifically, to a composition for stabilizing protein including basic amino acid and sugar and/or ammonium salt, a pharmaceutical formulation including the same, and a method for stabilizing TNFα-binding protein. The formulation including basic amino acid; and sugar and/or ammonium salt according to the present invention effectively inhibits aggregation, denaturation and oxidation of TNFα-binding protein used for treating various diseases, for example, an anti-TNF-alpha antibody, such that the protein is capable of being preserved and stored for a long time, which is widely usable and effective in a medical field using TNFα-binding protein, for example, an anti-TNF-alpha antibody.
US09821049B2

The present invention relates to vaccine compositions comprising Norovirus antigens and adjuvants, in particular, mixtures of monovalent VLPs and mixtures of multivalent VLPs, and to methods of conferring protective immunity to Norovirus infections in a human subject.
US09821040B2

Compositions containing bromelain are disclosed for use as topical therapeutic agents to restore healthy skin, and for immediate and extended relief from itching and irritation associated with contact dermatitis, insect bites, idiopathic itch, chronic itch, hives, psoriasis, seborrhea, eczema and cracked fingertips, skin abrasions, cuts and minor burns as well as other indications. The compositions include lotions, creams and ointments.
US09821037B1

A compound is provided which comprises at least a portion of an amino acid linker-domain from squalene synthase. In alternative forms, the compound can include the amino-acid linker-domain from various fungus, including S. cerevisiae or the compound can be the functional equivalent and/or mimics an amino acid linker-domain from squalene synthase. A pharmaceutical composition includes the compound and may further include a pharmaceutical carrier. A method is provided for treating or controlling cholesterol metabolism and ergosterol metabolism in non-fungal organisms. One method includes a therapeutic treatment in humans by administering a therapeutically effective amount of the compound or pharmaceutical composition, to a patient in need of treatment, therefrom.
US09821034B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for treatment or prevention of diseases have an increased level of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). The method comprises administration of a growth hormone (GH) variant having antagonistic activity in combination with an oligonucleotide targeted to growth hormone receptor (GHR) to a subject in need.
US09821028B2

Disclosed herein are methods of controlling parasitic worms in herbivorous mammals and other species by orally administering an isolated antibody that specifically binds the interleukin-10 peptide or an interleukin-10 peptide. In the case of herbivorous mammals such as cattle, for example, administration of the anti-IL-10 antibodies increases weight gain and increases feed efficiency in the animals.
US09821023B2

Methods of treating a central nervous system (CNS) disorder or mood disorder in a subject in need of such treatment are described. A therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R) peptide ligand in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is administered to the subject. The MC5R peptide ligand is a selective MC5R antagonist, in which administration thereof to the subject can treat the CNS disorder or mood disorder with clinical improvement observed in a relatively short time.
US09821020B2

The present invention provides ophthalmic compositions, e.g. artificial tears, suitable for treating dry eye syndrome in a human or other mammal suffering there from, e.g. a dog or cat, which comprise a mixture of castor oil with another oil, e.g. a food oil, e.g. olive oil, sesame oil, corn oil etc.
US09821017B2

An extract of Asplenium nidus L. includes pyropheophorbide a methyl ester (C34H36N4O3), pheophorbide a methyl ester (C35H36N4O5), 1-linleoyl-3-linolenoyl-glycerol (C39H66O5), 1-linleoyl-2,3-dipalmitoyl-rac-glycerol (C53H98O6) and 1,3-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol (C35H68O5). The extract of Asplenium nidus L. is obtained by using a method including steps of: solvent extraction, using an solvent to extract an Asplenium nidus L. sample and to obtain an extract, with a w/v ratio between the solvent and the Asplenium nidus L. sample being 50˜60 mg/ml; and column chromatography, fractionating the extract with water and ethanol as eluent to obtain several fractions including fraction a to fraction i, and further evaporating and lyophilizing fraction b, c, d or their combination to obtain an extract of Asplenium nidus L.
US09821015B2

According to the present invention there are provided methods of regulating the immune system of a companion animal and methods of improving the digestion of a companion animal, wherein each of said methods comprises administering to a companion animal a probiotic bacteria strain of the genus Bifidobacteria.
US09821011B1

The invention is directed to modified T cells, methods of making and using isolated, modified T cells, and methods of using these isolated, modified T cells to address diseases and disorders. In one embodiment, this invention broadly relates to TCR-deficient T cells, isolated populations thereof, and compositions comprising the same. In another embodiment of the invention, these TCR-deficient T cells are designed to express a functional non-TCR receptor. The invention also pertains to methods of making said TCR-deficient T cells, and methods of reducing or ameliorating, or preventing or treating, diseases and disorders using said TCR-deficient T cells, populations thereof, or compositions comprising the same.
US09821009B2

The present invention relates to a method for modulating miRNA content in living beings and the use thereof, whereof the miRNAs are delivered initiatively and selectively by microparticles/MVs/exosomes to the circulatory system and target cells/tissues to perform various functions. The invention provides a novel combination of molecules that mediates the inter-cellular communication: the miRNAs secreted by cells through cellular MVs. Meanwhile, the present invention also provides a method for preparing cellular MVs entrapping certain miRNAs, and, according to the regulation and modification of gene expression in cells and tissues with the miRNA-entrapping cellular MVs, provides a novel method for modulating miRNA content in living beings, which is effective and adoptable to all cell types.
US09821007B2

An irrigant comprising either a hypochlorite compound or a chlorhexidine compound in combination with at least one surfactant and preferably two or more surfactants, including fluorosurfactants, ethoxylates, sulfonates, quaternary ammonium compounds, amine oxides, and combinations thereof, wherein each of the surfactants are capable of complexing with one another.
US09820997B2

A method of accelerating remyelination or suppressing demyelination of neurons in a mammal, and a method of treating a disease associated with demyelination of neurons in a mammal.
US09820996B2

A preparation method for an antithyroid ointment for external application is provided. The ointment includes the following components by mass percentage: 0.01-10% gluco corticoid, 1-15% antithyroid drug, 0.1-30% percutaneous penetration enhancer, 10-30% oleaginous base and 4-40% water-soluble base. The method includes: mixing the glucocorticoid and a drug carrier material so as to evenly disperse the glucocorticoids on the drug carrier material to obtain a glucocorticoid component; placing and evenly mixing an antithyroid drug and other ingredients in distilled water, and heating to 80° C. and evenly mixing to obtain a water phase; melting an oleaginous base and a percutaneous penetration enhancer at 80° C. and evenly mixing to obtain an oil phase; maintaining at 80° C. and pouring the oil phase into the water phase, and evenly stirring; adding the glucocorticoid component when the temperature drops to 40° C.; and evenly and sufficiently stirring until cooled to obtain an ointment.
US09820994B2

Cerclage pessary containing progesterone homogeneously distributed in the pessary body providing a prolonged, sustained and continuous release for a period of at least 6 months, wherein the pessary consists of dimethylsiloxane elastomer with RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanization) mechanism, the progesterone amount is from 20% to 30% w/w, relative to pessary weight and the ratios of the polymers forming the matrix is from 6:1 to 14 1. The cerclage pessary is useful for the prevention of preterm birth. Progesterone diffuses through the polymer continuously, without altering the shape and integrity of the pessary, since the elastomer forming the polymeric matrix used herein is not biodegradable. This guarantees that the form of pessary remains intact until the end of treatment.
US09820989B2

The present invention relates to a method of treating ophthalmic diseases and conditions, e.g. diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity, etc., in a subject comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of formula I or a prodrug, pharmaceutically acceptable salt, racemic mixtures or enantiomers of said compound. The compounds of formula I are capable of modulating tyrosine kinase signal transduction in order to regulate, modulate and/or inhibit abnormal cell proliferation.
US09820988B2

The present invention relates to the use of 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(4-morpholinyl)-2.5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-one or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof in a method for treatment and/or prevention of one or more epileptic disorders in a feline animal, preferably a cat.
US09820987B2

The described invention provides a method of treating a patient with an epithelial cancer comprising administering a composition comprising a therapeutic amount of an inhibitor of a BTK protein and one or more chemotherapeutic agent(s) selected from the group consisting of an antimetabolite, a platinum coordination compound, an alkylating agent and a combination thereof, wherein the composition is effective to reduce one or more of tumor cell growth, tumor cell clonogenicity, tumor cell proliferation, tumor cell viability and tumor volume and the therapeutic amount of the inhibitor of a BTK protein and the one or more chemotherapeutic agent(s) exerts a synergistic effect. The described invention also provides methods of treating a chemotherapy drug-resistant cancer and sensitizing a cancer patient to chemotherapy.
US09820984B1

A dose regimes comprising the simultaneous administration of two pharmaceutical compositions, wherein the first pharmaceutical composition is a composition comprising vortioxetine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof for once daily oral administration, and the second pharmaceutical composition is a composition comprising vortioxetine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof which together with said first composition quickly achieves a steady-state plasma level of vortioxetine in said patient which steady-state plasma level is the same as the steady-state vortioxetine plasma level achieved by the administration to said patient of said first composition alone.
US09820982B2

The invention pertains to a method of relieving pain by administering a controlled release pharmaceutical tablet containing oxymorphine which produces a mean minimum blood plasma level 12 to 24 hours after dosing, as well as the tablet producing the sustained pain relief.
US09820981B2

Disclosed herein are methods of treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a premature and/or low birth weight infant in need thereof, comprising administering to the infant an effective amount of a compound represented by Structural Formula I, Structural Formula la or Structural Formula II described herein, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Also disclosed herein are methods of inhibiting the destruction of retinal blood vessels in a premature and/or low birth weight infant in need thereof, comprising administering to the infant an effective amount of a compound represented by Structural Formula I, Structural Formula la or Structural Formula II, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Also disclosed herein are methods of treating hyperoxia in a premature and/or low birth weight infant in need thereof, comprising administering to the infant an effective amount of a compound represented by Structural Formula I, Structural Formula la or Structural Formula II, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. By using the methods disclosed herein, particularly when an infant is hyperoxic, oxygen toxicity to the retina of the eye can be inhibited without restricting oxygen supplementation, which is often necessary to sustain the life of premature infants.
US09820980B2

The compound of the formula (I-1): wherein all the symbols have the same meanings as described in the specification, has two cyclic groups, particularly phenoxy groups at specific substitution positions and thus has high human S1P2 antagonistic activity. The compound may therefore be used as a therapeutic agent for S1P2-mediated diseases such as diseases resulting from vascular constriction, fibrosis, and respiratory diseases.
US09820979B2

The present invention relates to compounds which bind to the NR1H4 receptor (FXR) and act as agonists of FXR. The invention further relates to the use of the compounds for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of diseases and/or conditions through binding of said nuclear receptor by said compounds and to a process for the synthesis of said compounds.
US09820974B2

The present invention is directed to methods of inhibiting LTA4-h in a human patient and method of treating a condition ameliorated by the inhibition of leukotriene A4 hydrolase activity in a human patient comprising administering to said human patient the compound, 4-{5-[4-(4-Oxazol-2-yl-phenoxy)-benzyl]-2,5-diaza-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ylmethyl}-benzoic acid.
US09820971B2

Provided herein are compounds according to formula (I): Provided herein is also a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to formula (I) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and a method for providing anesthesia in a subject by administering such a pharmaceutical composition.
US09820968B2

The present invention provides the compound Ormeloxifene [3, 4-trans-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenyl-4-p-(beta-pyrrolidinoethoxy) phenyl-7-methoxy chroman] as useful in inducing differentiation in wide range of myeloid leukemias including acute promyelocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia where block in differentiation is common feature. Ormeloxifene induced differentiation that is marked by increase in differentiation marker proteins like C/EBPα and surface proteins such as cd11b and granulocyte colony stimulating factor receptor (GCSFr). Differentiated cells having neutrophil like morphology were observed when treated with 1.0 uM to 7.5 uM ORM which clearly indicates that ORM can induce differentiation in myeloid leukemia cells. At higher doses (5 uM to 7.5 uM) there is early onset of myeloid differentiation (24 to 48 h) with reduced no. of cells which is likely due to apoptotic effects of ORM at higher does. In contrary, lower doses (1 uM) induce differentiation after longer duration (6-15 days) with quite reduced apoptotic effect.
US09820958B2

This invention relates to a biological oil composition, preferably obtained from a copepod, most preferably the copepod Calanus finmarchicus and the use thereof to prevent or treat formation of atherosclerotic plaques and hence development of coronary heart disease. The composition comprises the same marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generally regarded as being responsible for the anti-atherosclerotic effect of marine oils, namely EPA (C20:5n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (C22:6n-3 docosahexaenoic acid). However, quite unexpectedly, it has been found that the oil composition of the present invention has a remarkably higher ability to prevent formation of atherosclerotic plaques than what can be attributed to EPA and DHA alone, and moreover, unlike EPA and DHA alone it has a notable blood cholesterol lowering effect.
US09820957B2

Methods of treating, ameliorating, or inhibiting the development of autoimmune diseases by modulating the binding of MHC class II molecules to antigenic peptides or fragments of antigenic peptides of the autoimmune disease. The binding may be modulated by the administration of D-α-methyldopa, or pharmaceutical compositions comprising therapeutically effective amounts of D-α-methyldopa.
US09820941B2

The present invention provides a composition comprising a sPLA2 hydrolysable liposome, an exterior solution, and an interior solution within the liposome, —wherein the concentration of osmolytes is higher in the interior solution than in the exterior solution. The composition improves storage stability of sPLA2 hydrolysable liposomes, in particular at when stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius. The liposome preferably encapsulates cisplatin. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composition of the invention.
US09820932B2

The present invention relates to cosmetics comprising a hydroxyl compound obtained by the reaction of a di- or higher-valent alcohol with a monovalent carboxylic acid and dimer acid, characterized in that the hydroxyl compound is obtained by reacting diglycerin with isostearic acid, and then reacting the obtained ester compound with dimer acid, wherein a molar ratio among diglycerin, isostearic acid and dimer acid is in the range of 1.0:1.4 to 1.6:0.5 to 0.8. The present invention provides cosmetics comprising the hydroxyl compounds having a high hydroxyl value.
US09820928B1

Cationic and silicon substituents are introduced into polysaccharides thereby producing modified polysaccharides cationically substituted by quaternary ammonium groups and having a charge density of about 0.1 to about 2.5 meq/g, and further substituted by siliconate groups such that the modified polysaccharide has a silicon content of about 300 to about 5000 ppm. The modified polysaccharides have application in industrial, home care and personal care surface modifying formulations.
US09820918B2

The present invention provides a delivery system for the treatment and/or prevention of infectious pathological changes, including compositions comprising polyhexanide, various pharmaceutical formulations, and processes for using these formulations in oral treatment modalities.
US09820903B2

A device for use with a bed having a frame and a supporting surface includes a flexible sheet with a tether strap connected to the sheet and extending from the sheet. The flexible sheet has opposed top and bottom surfaces, with the top surface having a high friction material with a higher coefficient of friction as compared to the bottom surface, which includes a low friction material. The tether strap is configured for connection to the frame of the bed to secure the sheet in place. A system incorporating the flexible sheet may also include an absorbent pad configured to be placed on the top surface of the sheet, where the high-friction top surface resists sliding of the absorbent pad, as well as one or more wedges having a base wall that the wedge rests on and a ramp surface configured to confront the sheet when the wedge is placed under the sheet. The base wall and the ramp surface may also contain high friction and low friction materials, respectively.
US09820893B2

A multi layered sanitary pad having a unique shape and design for snug fit, increased absorption, comfort, obscurity and enhanced leak prevention that includes a body made up of embossed fleece layers. The upper surface of the sanitary pad includes a central protrusion extending longitudinally and laterally from end to end and side to side, the cross-shaped protrusion including additional cotton wadding, for increased absorption and leak prevention for extended wear. The top surface protrusion is shaped and sized to slightly penetrate the vaginal opening to ensure a snug comfortable fit to increase absorption and enhance leakage prevention along with extended wear. The top surface includes (4) recessed portions surrounding the central protrusion area, for a snug fit, additional absorption, leakage prevention and comfort.
US09820885B2

A dual blade device and method useable for performing an ab interno procedure within a human eye to remove a strip of trabecular meshwork tissue.
US09820865B2

An adjustable implant (10, 60, 70, 80, 90) has a base (12) and a displaceable element (16) providing opposing tissue contact surfaces (14, 18). A linkage (20, 26) is pivotally connected to the displaceable element. A linkage mover (38, 40), engaged so as to be displaceable along the base, is associated with the linkage (20, 26) so as to define a displaceable pivot location (24, 30) for pivotal motion of the linkage relative to the base, in certain preferred embodiments, the base (12) has an internally threaded track (42, 44) in which a threaded segment of the linkage mover (38, 40) is engaged, so that rotation of the threaded segment about its central axis advances the linkage mover along the threaded track, thereby displacing the displaceable pivot locations and adjusting a separation between the first contact surface and at least part of the second contact surface.
US09820864B2

A disc replacement device including a first body member with a convex articulation surface and a second body member with a concave articulation surface is disclosed. When operably positioned, the convex articulation surface engages the concave articulation surface to provide for movement therebetween. The disc replacement device also includes a first opening in the first body member and a second opening in the second body member, wherein the openings are angled and extends from the front aspects of the body members through the external surfaces. The disc replacement device further includes at least two bone fasteners for insertion into the first and second openings to secure the disc replacement device to a first and second vertebra. An interbody motion device and fusion implant, as well as a surgical method for implantation are also disclosed.
US09820859B2

The invention discloses a support element for humeral implant comprising a central body extending along an axis and at least three arms extending outwardly from the central body, the arms being transversal to said axis and bearing a ring element at their ends opposite to said central body, wherein at least a first and a second pair of arms form different angles.
US09820851B2

A prosthetic heart valve is designed to be circumferentially collapsible for less invasive delivery into the patient. At the implant site the valve re-expands to a larger circumferential size, i.e., the size that it has for operation as a replacement for one of the patient's native heart valves. The valve includes structures that, at the implant site, extend radially outwardly to engage tissue structures above and below the native heart valve annulus. These radially outwardly extending structures clamp the native tissue between them and thereby help to anchor the prosthetic valve at the desired location in the patient.
US09820848B2

A system and method for insetting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye includes a light source for generating a light beam, a scanner for deflecting the light beam to form an enclosed treatment pattern that includes a registration feature, and a delivery system for delivering the enclosed treatment pattern to target tissue in the patient's eye to form an enclosed incision therein having the registration feature. An intraocular lens is placed within the enclosed incision, wherein the intraocular lens has a registration feature that engages with the registration feature of the enclosed incision. Alternately, the scanner can make a separate registration incision for a post that is connected to the intraocular lens via a strut member.
US09820847B2

Synthetic structures for fibrous soft tissue repair include a polymeric fibrillar structure that exhibits mechanical properties of the human fibrous soft tissue.
US09820843B2

Materials for soft tissue repair, and in particular, material for hernia repair. These materials may be configured as an implant, such as a graft, that may be implanted into a patient in need thereof, such as a patient having a hernia or undergoing a hernia repair surgical procedure. These grafts may include a first layer comprising a substrate (e.g., mesh) and a second layer comprising a sheet of anti-adhesive material. The layers may be attached with a plurality of relatively small attachment sites that are separated by regions in which the two layers are not attached, to provide a highly compliant graft.
US09820836B2

An intra-vaginal device for controlling urinary incontinence, designed to be placed longitudinally in the vagina, includes: a. a deformable distal portion, placed in the subvesical region of the vagina, characterized by a deformable state and an un-deformable state; b. a deformable proximal portion placed in the sub-urethral portion of the vagina, characterized by a deformable state and an un-deformable state; c. a deformation controlling mechanism interconnecting said distal portion and said proximal portion, adapted to reversibly transform said distal portion and said proximal portion form said deformable state to said un-deformable state; and from said un-deformable state to said deformable state; wherein upon predetermined amount of intra-vaginal pressure applied on said proximal pressure, said deformation controlling mechanism is adapted to transform proximal portion from said un-deformable state to said deformable state such that pressure is applied on said urethra.
US09820831B2

A dental implant fixture as a fixture implanted in an alveolar bone to be an artificial tooth root includes a main body vertically extending long along a center axis, at least part of the main body being implanted in the alveolar bone, and a cutting face formed on an outer circumferential surface of the main body to secure a space for accommodating blood when the main body is implanted in the alveolar bone. The dental implant fixture does not apply excessive pressure to a cortical bone of an alveolar bone when being inserted into an implantation hole, and is capable of rapidly regenerating the alveolar bone by accommodating a large amount of blood inside the implantation hole.
US09820824B2

A method for treating a site within a patient from which tissue has been removed includes providing at least one press-formed marker body formed of polysaccharide and a suitable binder; and placing the at least one of the press-formed marker body within the site where tissue has been removed so as to provide hemostasis therein.
US09820823B2

A method of controlling an end effector of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument may include receiving a first input signal indicative of a high grip level input at a master grip input mechanism that controls a slave gripping force of the end effector; receiving a second input signal indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a first surgical procedure; and outputting a locking signal in response to receiving the first input signal and the second input signal together to lock one or more degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument during the first surgical procedure.
US09820817B2

A robot system is provided that includes a transport device and a robot. The transport device has a receiving device that receives a robot and a movement device connected with the receiving device. The robot has a robot base with at least one manipulator element connected with the robot base. The robot system further includes a fastening device connected with the robot base for fastening the robot to a holding device and includes a transport device receiver that is connected with the robot base for fastening the robot to the transport device.
US09820809B2

An electrosurgical instrument is provided for the treatment of tissue, the instrument (3) including a shaft (14) and a tip portion including at least one electrode (16), located at the distal end of the shaft. A fluid impermeable sheath (25) covers at least a proportion of the shaft and extends to the tip portion where it terminates in a distal end portion (26). A metallic shroud (29) is provided, comprising an annular ring portion (30) and a rearwardly extending cylindrical portion (31). The ring portion (30) is connected to the tip portion, and the cylindrical portion (31) overlies the distal end portion (26) of the sheath (25) so as to prevent ingress of fluids at the distal end portion of the sheath.
US09820803B2

Instrument and systems for applying ablative energy to epicardial tissue via a subxiphoid access surgical approach. The instrument has a head assembly sized and shaped for a subxiphoid surgical approach to a patient's heart and defines a contact face. The head assembly includes a paddle body, a first ablation electrode, and a second ablation electrode. The ablation electrodes are coupled to the paddle body in a spaced apart, spatially-fixed fashion. The ablation electrodes are exteriorly exposed at the contact face. A tubular member extends from the head assembly and maintains wiring connected to the ablation electrodes. The instrument is manipulable to locate the contact face on epicardial tissue of a patient's heart via a subxiphoid surgical approach, such as between the left and right pulmonary vein junctions of the posterior left atrium.
US09820798B2

Targeted ablation of parathyroidal tissue is provided through hyperthermia adjuvant therapy. An in situ localization of parathyroidal tissue is obtained. A temperature-sensitive adjuvant is instilled into the parathyroidal tissue. Hyperthermia is therapeutically induced within the parathyroidal tissue. Heat-inducing energy is targeted into the parathyroidal tissue, which selectively includes the temperature-sensitive adjuvant. Application of the heat-inducing energy to the parathyroidal tissue is continued over a therapeutic range. In a further embodiment, the targeted ablation of the parathyroidal tissue is provided through hypothermia adjuvant therapy with the targeted use of cold-inducing energy.
US09820794B2

Various devices, systems, and methods are capable of killing tumor cells by delivering cell-disrupting agents into a tumor in an inward direction from a peripheral border about the tumor. In some examples, a covering that includes one or more emissive elements encompasses at least a portion of a tumor such that the emissive element is directed inwardly toward the tumor so as to be able to introduce a cell-disrupting agent into the tumor. In further examples, the covering is incorporated into a glove.
US09820793B1

A system for repairing separated body tissues includes a tensioning device comprising two proximal handles for grasping, a pair of movable distal tensioning tips, a pivot between the proximal handle and distal tensioning tips, and suture holding clamps proximal to the tensioning tips. The tensioning device is used in conjunction with a buckle with lock bars and a tensioning tab for securing and tensioning suture. The tensioning tab is provided to secure the lock bar in its first position until tension on the suture exceeds a predetermined level.
US09820792B2

A bone cement mixing and delivery device includes a shaft extending along an axis from a first end to a second end and including a passageway. The first end includes an adapter having a first opening that is in communication with the passageway. The second end includes a second opening that is in communication with the passageway. The shaft includes a mixing portion between the first and second ends. A connector includes a central portion that that is coupled to the adapter. The central portion includes a channel that is in communication with the first opening. The connector includes first and second ports that extend from the central portion. The first port includes a first lumen that is in communication with the channel The second port includes a second lumen that is in communication with the channel. Methods of use are disclosed.
US09820791B2

Methods of filling bone cavities are provided. The methods use a bone cement mixing and delivery device that includes a shaft extending along an axis from a first end to a second end and including a passageway. The first end includes an adapter having a first opening that is in communication with the passageway. The second end includes a second opening that is in communication with the passageway. The shaft includes a mixing portion between the first and second ends. A connector includes a central portion that that is coupled to the adapter. The central portion includes a channel that is in communication with the first opening. The connector includes first and second ports that extend from the central portion. The first port includes a first lumen that is in communication with the channel. The second port includes a second lumen that is in communication with the channel.
US09820786B2

An orthopaedic implant knee hinge and surgical method for minimally invasive insertion of the orthopaedic implant knee hinge. The apparatus and method stabilizes the knee in patients after ligament surgery, conventional fixation of supracondylar and intracondylar fractures of the femur and/or tibial plateau and proximal tibia fractures. The knee hinge is inserted subcutaneously (but supra-muscularly) on one of both of the medial or lateral side of the knee.
US09820782B2

A pedicle screw includes a tulip head, a rod seat, a screw shank, and a retainer collar. The tulip head has an upper opening disposed in a top end of the tulip head and a lower opening disposed in a bottom end of the tulip head opposite the upper opening. The upper and lower openings form a single cavity extending through the tulip head from a top end to the bottom end. The rod seat is disposed within the cavity of the tulip head and engages a stop extending inwardly from an interior wall of the cavity. The screw shank has a thread disposed along a length of the screw shank and a connector positioned at an upper end. The retainer collar has a pass through aperture, an expansion slit, and is disposed about the connector of the screw shank. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09820779B2

A spinal stabilization system includes a connecting rod, a rod bending device, and a plurality of bone screws. The connecting rod includes an elongate round portion, an elongate head portion and a neck portion connecting the elongate round portion with the elongate head portion. The rod bending device includes an elongate body defining an aperture configured and dimensioned to receive the connecting rod therethrough in a single orientation. The bone screws include a housing portion and a screw shaft distally extending from the housing portion. The housing portion includes an inner housing and an outer housing slidably surrounding at least a portion of the inner housing. The inner housing defines a slot configured and dimensioned to releasably secure the elongate round portion of the connecting rod therein. The outer housing is movable relative to the inner housing between an unlocked state and a locked state.
US09820776B2

A ratcheting strut comprising: (a) a ratchet box including a through passage; (b) a first tube sized to extend at least partially through the passage, the first tube including teeth that engage corresponding teeth of the ratchet box; (c) a second tube mounted to the ratchet box in parallel with the first tube, the second tube operatively coupled to a second fixation adapter; and, (d) a threaded rod operatively coupled to a nut and a first fixation adapter, the threaded rod repositionably mounted to the first tube, where the nut is operatively coupled and repositionable with respect to the first tube.
US09820774B2

The present invention is an orthopedic trigger apparatus including a rack assembly, a trigger housing assembly and a trigger assembly. The rack assembly includes a linear rack rotatably connected to a first handle of an orthopedic instrument. The trigger housing assembly includes a trigger housing connected to a second handle of the orthopedic instrument, with a rack engagement cylinder and a spring enclosed within the trigger housing. The rack engagement cylinder includes a toothed rack. The spring contacts a second surface of the toothed rack stop, biasing a first pawled surface into meshing with the rack and preventing the rack from sliding through the trigger housing in more than one direction. Actuating the trigger assembly causes an actuator protrusion on the trigger to press against the rack engagement cylinder, moving the first pawled surface of the toothed rack stop away from the rack and allowing the rack to slide freely.
US09820763B2

An apparatus and method are presented comprising an endoscope including a flexible shaft which has an active deflection section at a distal tip, a handle connected to a proximal end of the flexible shaft, a platform mounted to a top portion of the handle and oriented substantially in line with the longitudinal axis of the proximal end of a straight portion of the flexible shaft to provide a substantially straight entry into a working channel of the flexible shaft for an output accessory, a stone retrieval device insertable into the proximal end of the working channel of the endoscope, a lithotripsy shaft including one or more guide features at a distal end of the lithotripsy shaft to facilitate passage of wires or filaments of the stone retrieval device there through, and a lithotripsy shaft driver attached to the platform for driving the lithotripsy shaft under power.
US09820759B1

A universal drill guide for use in position the location of holes to be drilled for insertion of bone staples. The drill guide has first and second legs pivotally secured to one another and first and second jaw members, each of the jaw members being provided with a drill guide. An indexer connected to the first and second legs includes a biaser, e.g., a spring to bias the first and second legs in a direction away from one another and a latch, catch or the like for selectively, releasably holding the first and second legs in a predetermined desired spacing.
US09820754B2

The present invention provides a circular bone tunneling device, comprising: a hollow elongate body comprising a hollow elongate body head, said hollow elongate body head defining a rigid circular arc, comprising a surgical needle; an extendable and retractable support element, reconfigurable from an extended configuration to a retracted configuration; said support element, in said extended configuration, adapted to be located along said path formed by said rigid circular arc; said support element and said hollow elongate body head are adapted to grasp said bone from at least two points along the circumference of said bone; a stabilizing element.
US09820749B2

Systems, methods and kits for treating hemorrhages within cavities are provided. The methods utilize the application of a rapid spike of pressure to the closed cavity, followed by a steady state pressure or pressures.
US09820748B2

The present disclosure relates to an insertion device including a shaft with a head supported on a distal end thereof. The shaft includes a proximal end with an engagement member that is configured to frictionally engage a distal end of a surgical fastening apparatus such that an interference fit is created therebetween to facilitate selective detachment of the insertion device from the surgical fastening apparatus. The head has an atraumatic configuration, and is dimensioned to be received in a body orifice.
US09820746B2

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for using a tissue scaffold to facilitate healing of an anastomosis. One embodiment provides a tissue scaffold for placement at an anastomotic site within a body lumen comprising a radially expandable scaffold structure having lateral and mid portions, at least one retention element coupled to each lateral portion and a barrier layer. The retention element engages a luminal wall when the scaffold structure is expanded to retain the structure and exert a compressive force on the anastomosis. The mid portion has a greater radial stiffness than the lateral portions such that when the structure is expanded, the lateral portions engage tissue prior to the mid portion. The barrier layer is configured to engage a luminal wall when the structure is expanded to provide a fluidic seal at the anastomosis. The barrier layer may also include releasable biological agents to promote anastomotic healing.
US09820745B2

A shunt rivet for implantation in the aorta and inferior vena cava to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a method of treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
US09820744B2

A tool to fasten tissue or to fasten a prosthetic to tissue includes a gripper to hold one or more tissue portions, a needle, an actuator to drive the needle, a fastener cartridge to store one or more tissue fasteners, a holder cartridge to store one or more holders, and a holder applier to secure one of the holders on one of the fasteners. The actuator drives the needle and the needle pulls a first fastener from the fastener cartridge. The actuator drives the needle through the one or more tissue portions held by the gripper to form a hole in the tissue portions. The needle pulls a leading portion of the first fastener through the hole without a trailing portion of the first fastener being pulled through the hole. The holder applier secures a first holder from the holder cartridge onto the leading portion of the first fastener.
US09820730B2

Devices and methods are described herein directed to an adaptor for use with a medical device used to suture tissue within a patient's body and/or for delivering and/or securing another medical device within a patient's body. In one embodiment, an apparatus to aid in the placement of a suture at a location within a body of a patient using a medical device includes a body and a coupler configured to couple the body to the medical device. The apparatus further includes a suture mounting portion disposed on the body that defines a suture slit configured to laterally receive therethrough a portion of a suture coupled to the medical device and to apply a frictional force to the suture to resist movement of the suture longitudinally therethrough. A magnitude of the frictional force being less than a longitudinal force applied to the suture by actuation of the medical device.
US09820723B2

The present invention presents an apparatus and methods to guide insertion of invasive devices to a tissue target of a living body. The apparatus comprises a positioning guide control assembly and a positioning guide assembly that is operably detachable from the control assembly, and rotationally adjustable and lockable. The positioning guide control assembly releasably houses a ultrasound transducer head and measures an insertion length and an insertion angle of an invasive device placed in the positioning guide assembly to reach the tissue target.
US09820720B2

A body-cavity-insertion-type probe wherein an internal unit (internal assembly) has an oscillator unit, a relay board, and electronic circuit board, and a backing member. The backing member is retained in a state of being housed inside a backing case, and the backing case is retained by two recesses formed in an inside surface of a heat dissipation shell as a probe head case. An exhaust heat sheet is joined to a peripheral region of a back surface of the electronic circuit board. A rear wing and a front wing of the exhaust heat sheet are joined to the backing case.
US09820719B2

A catheter that comprises a catheter configured for housing at least a portion of a catheter configured for insertion into a body lumen in proximity of a targeted anatomical site and having an imager at a distal end thereof and an adjustable chamber configured for covering the imager. The catheter is configured for introducing a wave conductive medium to the adjustable chamber to increase wave conductivity between said targeted anatomical site and the imager.
US09820713B2

There is provided an image processing apparatus for reconstructing a tomographic image of a subject based on a plurality of projection images obtained by detecting radiation emitted from a plurality of different positions. The image processing apparatus reconstructs a first tomographic image from the plurality of projection images, extracts a fixed pattern occurring in the first tomographic image due to a radiation detector, and forms a second tomographic image by updating the first tomographic image using a value concerning intensity of the fixed pattern as a regularization term. The image processing apparatus outputs, as the tomographic image of the subject, the second tomographic image obtained by the update.
US09820709B2

A multiple frame x-ray imaging system is disclosed with capability of differential x-ray exposure of different input areas of an image intensifier or other x-ray detector. Collimators are provided to control the amount of radiation in various regions of the image and image processing is provided to provide the display of images of different qualities.
US09820708B2

A system including an x-ray scanner gantry having: a housing; a gantry gear; a rotor; a generator mounted on the rotor; and first and second generator gears connected to or engaged with one or more axles of the generator. The second generator gear is engaged with the gantry gear. A motor rotates the intermediate gear via a motor gear. A second actuator actuates the motor gear to engage the motor with the rotor. A control module operates in first and second modes and: while in the first mode, engages the intermediate gear to the first generator gear via the first actuator to rotate, via the motor gear, the intermediate gear and as a result the first generator gear; and while in the second mode, engage the motor to the rotor via the second actuator to rotate, via the motor gear, the rotor and as a result the second generator gear.
US09820707B2

An X-ray device includes a C-bracket having a radiation detector rotatably mounted on the C-bracket. The radiation detector may be rotated by a motor drive. The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the detector surface. The motor drive is a torque motor that includes a stator and a rotor. The radiation detector is coupled to the rotor.
US09820705B2

Provided is an X-ray photographing apparatus including an X-ray source for generating and irradiating an X-ray; a collimator for controlling an X-ray photographing area to which an X-ray is irradiated by the X-ray source; a projector for generating and projecting a visible ray image by using image signals; a reflection mirror for reflecting the visible ray image projected by the projector to an X-ray photographing area; and a main controller for controlling the projector to match a light irradiation field corresponding to the visible ray image projected to the X-ray photographing area to the X-ray irradiation field.
US09820701B2

The present invention relates to an X-ray targeting device which includes a frame installed at an X-ray generator of an X-ray imaging device which outputs X-rays toward a patient to be measured, and a light radiation unit installed at the frame, and radiating guide light in accordance with a direction in which the X-rays are output to display a radiated position or radiated range of the X-rays with respect to the patient. According to the present invention, since an X-ray targeting device includes a light radiation unit radiating guide light in accordance with a radiated direction of X-rays, a worker can easily identify the radiated direction or the radiated range of the X-rays, thereby saving time and effort required for X-ray imaging.
US09820689B2

Providing an indication of a state of awareness for a patient includes acquiring an EEG signal; filtering the EEG signal to generate a first frequency band of signals; and filtering the EEG signal to generate a second frequency band of signals. Providing the indication also includes concurrently displaying the first and second frequency bands of signals in a single display window such that at least a first portion of the first frequency band overlaps, spatially the second frequency band.
US09820687B2

A method for determining a drowsiness value that represents the drowsiness of a driver of a motor vehicle and is determined cyclically over defined time intervals on the basis of at least one drowsiness characteristic, includes the task of determining a drowsiness value of a time interval to be assessed, in addition to the drowsiness characteristic, at least one drowsiness base value is taken into account.
US09820684B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for manufacturing an analyte detecting device. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a housing; a penetrating member driver; a cartridge containing a plurality of penetrating members; a display on the cartridge; a linear slider on the housing, the slider coupled to a rod; and the rod moving with the slider, the rod having at least one roller. The device uses the linear motion of the slider to rotate the cartridge, punch open a new cavity and load a new penetrating member.
US09820683B2

An apparatus and a method for measuring a property of a blood sample is shown. The apparatus comprises of a housing having an aperture; a shaft mounted inside the housing; a testing member rotatably mounted on the shaft; an actuating member coupled to the housing and configured to exert a force against the testing member; and a lancet for eliciting a blood sample fixedly coupled to and protruding substantially radially from the testing member and configured to co-rotate with the testing member. The apparatus is further configured such that the lancet is aligned with the aperture in the housing when the testing member is in a first position. The testing member is configured, in the presence of a force exerted against the testing member by the actuator member, to translate to a second position in which the lancet is in a skin penetrating position.
US09820677B2

A system and method for determining a position of a medical device within a body are provided. The system includes an electronic control unit that receives position signals from position sensors of a first type and a second type disposed on the device and applies a filter to each of the position signals to obtain filtered estimated positions for each sensor. The unit computes a spline connecting the position sensors of the first type responsive to the filtered estimated positions for the sensors and estimates a spline position for the sensor of the second type along the spline. The unit generates maps between the spline position and filtered and unfiltered estimated positions for the sensor of the second type and determines actual positions for the sensors of the first type responsive to the filtered estimated position for the sensors and a composite map of the two maps.
US09820675B2

An encapsulatable life support mechanism (ELSM) for an analyzed animal, including: a cradle or bed adapted by means of size and shape to accommodate the animal; an anesthetization gas mask (AGM) characterized by a cup with conic cross section, comprising a plurality of apertures located at the outer circumference of the cup; a fluid supplying mechanism (FSM) in which the AGM is placed, the FSM is in a continuous fluid communication with (i) an anesthetization gas inlet positioned outside the ELSM and an outlet located within the ELSM; (ii) an air suction scavenging device positioned outside the ELSM and a mask and an air suction outlet located within the ELSM; and a plurality of (iii) air conditioning tubes; and an airtight shell enveloping the same. The airtight ELSM prevent leakage of anesthetization gas.
US09820671B2

Described herein are methods of detecting the presence or progression of neuromuscular disorders (including ALS) based at least in part on diaphragm EMG signals taken at different points in time from the same implanted electrode(s). Signals may be used to diagnose or to monitor progression of a disorder or to track a treatment. Thus, diaphragm EMG signal may be used as a marker (e.g., a “biomarker”) for the detection or progression of a neurological disorder such as ALS. The characteristics or parameters of diaphragm EMG signals may be used to create an activity index, which may be output or compared and further analyzed. These signals may also be analyzed to show a difference between the left and right sides of the diaphragm.
US09820670B2

An electrode carrier system includes one or more electrode assemblies having an electrode body. One or more tubular members extend from the electrode body and define a lumen terminating in a distal opening. The electrode assemblies carry a reservoir containing a conductive fluid or gel. The reservoir is in fluid communication with the lumens in the tubular members, and the electrode assemblies are typically supported on a backing which may optionally be configured as a headband. Systems are for tracking patient movement may be used in combination with the electrode carrier system.
US09820653B2

An imager for in vivo viewing of diseased tissue by way of fluorescently conjugated molecules. A generally planar imaging surface with a microlens array. The imager may be modular, such that a plurality of generally planar imaging surfaces can be used to image various aspects of disease tissue simultaneously. Certain implementations include an angle-selective imager, wherein light from substantially perpendicular to the plane of the imager is received, while incident light is selectively eliminated.
US09820652B2

A two-photon imaging system capable of imaging of an image region in real time is presented. The imaging system comprises a source of excitation light that provides the excitation light as a plurality of laser beamlets. The plurality of laser beamlets is collectively scanned by a single-axis scanner along a first direction in the focal plane of the image region and oriented such that neither the rows nor columns are aligned with the first direction. As a result, each laser beamlet scans a different sub-region of the image region and the plurality of sub-regions are simultaneously scanned. As a result, the entirety of the image region is scanned in the same amount of time required to scan one image sub-region.
US09820645B2

The present invention relates to an ophthalmologic apparatus for acquiring depth information of an eye including a light source; a measurement optical path guiding measurement light; a reference optical path generating reference light; and a detector generating a detection signal containing an interference signal of the measurement light via the measurement optical path and the reference light coming from the reference optical path; an actuator driving at least part of the interference optical system to vary an optical path length difference between the measurement optical path and the reference optical path; a standard optical system including optical members disposed corresponding to the optical path length differences in one of the measurement optical path and the reference optical path. Optical members guide part of the measurement light or the reference light to the detector.
US09820642B2

An airway intubation device having a one-piece molded body of biocompatible material with an ergonomically designed hand piece for left hand manipulation. The body includes a cap piece and linear-curved-linear insertion piece having a channel in one side thereof for insertion of an endotracheal tube. The channel has a wide entry portal disposed ahead of the hand piece so that a clinician may load the channel with a tube while the insertion piece is in the mouth of the patient without having to view the entry portal. The device includes illumination means and viewing means comprising an eye piece or a video display unit mounted to the cap piece so that a clinician can view the insertion of the tube between the vocal cords of a patient without contact.
US09820635B2

In a bending tube for endoscope on which torsion preventing tab mechanisms are provided on the respective middle parts of first and second slots for bending located in an area from the proximal end of a bending tube body to a predetermined position on the distal end side (the torsion suppressing area), and the bending tube body being permitted to bend by the first and second slots for bending, the torsion preventing tab mechanism of at least any one of the first and second slots for bending arranged on the proximal end side of each of arrays (first and second arrays), other than the first and second slots for bending located at the most proximal end, among the first and second slots for bending arrayed in a same line, respectively, along a longitudinal direction of the bending tube body, is removed.
US09820633B2

A flexible tubular portion of an endoscope includes a spiral tube portion. The spiral tube portion includes a closely wound portion to at least a part of which an initial tension is applied, and a sparsely wound portion provided at least at one end of the closely wound portion.
US09820629B2

A filter assembly for filtering wash fluid to be recirculated by a circulation pump in a dishwasher appliance is provided. The filter assembly includes a first filter member and a second filter member. The first filter member defines a first filter panel and the second filter member defines a second filter panel. The first filter panel is spaced from the second filter panel along an axial direction of the filter assembly and is configured in series flow with the second filter panel. More particularly, the first and second filter panels are configured such that wash fluid is filtered by the first filter panel and by the second filter panel prior to being recirculated by the circulation pump.
US09820610B2

A barbecue support assembly for supporting an elongate skewer at one or more preselected heights above a barbecue grill. The barbecue support assembly includes one or more body elements having one or more parts thereof positionable substantially at one of the preselected heights. Also the part includes one or more apertures in which an end of the skewer is receivable.
US09820594B2

An insert to limit the rate of flow of liquid from a drinking cup includes a mount to locate the insert within a cup above a liquid contained therein but below a brim of the cup. A peripheral edge of the insert is spaced a predetermined distance from an inner surface of a cup such that, when a person drinks from the brim of a cup fitted with the insert, the rate of flow of liquid to the brim is limited by the insert.
US09820592B2

A fitted sheet which will fit both a standard-size twin mattress and an XL-size twin mattress without undue wrinkling or bunching of fabric is disclosed. This fitted sheet has a top panel, a first side panel attached to the top panel, a second side panel attached to the top panel, a front panel attached to the top panel, the first side panel and the second side panel, and a rear panel attached to the top panel, the first side panel and the second side panel. An elastic strip is proved near each corner or near two corners at one end of the fitted sheet. The elastic strips are oriented lengthwise on the fitted sheet.
US09820589B2

The present invention discloses a device for hanging clothes, comprising an engaging portion and a deformable elongate member, the elongate member comprising a connection mechanism such that the elongate member can be deformed back upon itself and connected to itself to form a loop.
US09820586B1

The showcase has a hinge comprising a fixed element, associated with the container body, a mobile element, intended to be associated with the door, and a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod hinged between the fixed element and the mobile element, so as to obtain an articulated quadrilateral adapted for causing a roto-translation of the fixed element with respect to the mobile element between an open position and a closed position of the hinge. The hinge also comprises a hook, associated with one from the fixed element and the mobile element and adapted for cooperating in a releasable manner with engagement means associated with the other from the fixed element and the mobile element, so as to counteract the movement of the mobile element away from the fixed element when the hinge is in closed position.
US09820579B2

A cushion having a foam core sandwiched by opposing gel infused viscoelastic pads adhesively attached to the core, the assembly wrapped in a non-woven and received in an upholstery casing, for seating use of the cushion in a furniture piece that during use for seating, the upper one of the pads wicking body heat into the seating cushion away from the person sitting thereon to provide a perception of cooling and the compressed pad readily reboundable to a noncompressed state after occupancy, and the cushion rotatable to selectively alternate the seating pad for use.
US09820578B2

A power leisure reclining chair includes a seat structure having a seat portion and a backrest portion, a support assembly having two wooden leg assemblies connected by a wooden cross beam, and a main push rod positioned between the seat structure and the cross beam to push the seat structure to swing. A metal frame and an armrest are arranged on the leg assembly. The support assembly has metal bars extending from a pivot pin on each leg assembly and connecting the seat portion. The metal bar is pivoted to the metal frame. The backrest portion is held at the rear of the leg assemblies by a rail guide system. The rail guide system has guide elements fixed to the leg assembly, and rail member fixed to the backrest portion. The guide element has an under and a top bearing against the bottom and side of the rail member.
US09820574B2

A molded panel resembling a natural wickerwork panel, a furniture article comprising such a panel and a method for its manufacture, the panel comprising a plurality of warp strands and a plurality of weft strands interlacing the warp strands, such that at locations where warp and weft strands intersect they form together an integrated, solid molded material location.
US09820561B2

A rotatable base for a porous pad has openings that provide for improved flow distribution of a liquid in the base across a substrate. The rotatable base can be molded from a two piece mold and the openings can have draft angles to facilitate the molding process.
US09820556B2

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use pertaining to the storage, organization, and transport of portable items typically carried within a bag, backpack, suitcase or other luggage item, or that are typically transported by an individual person. The system includes a number of storage and structure containers, each designed to enclose one or more portable items. The storage and structure containers may be loaded upon a loadable baseplate along with individual portable items and functionality components and, in turn, either inserted into an existing bag for transport or attached to a wearable frame having a shoulder harness and a wearable baseplate to function as a standalone system. The loadable baseplate may include many additional features, including light and/or sound-emitting components, location-tracking components, and/or other powered or passive functionality. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09820552B2

The All in one Beauty Pen—Beauty Bullet embodiment is all of the items you would need for a full face of makeup for day or night conveniently compacted and stationary in 2 pen embodiments that attach as one, eliminating lost items and clutter.
US09820538B2

A timepiece (1) having at least one colored transparent stone (10), and a support (20) with at least one opening (200) for receiving this colored transparent stone (10). The ratio between the height (h) and width (L) of the colored transparent stone (10) is less than 50% , and the support (20) is made from anodised titanium or anodised aluminium. Advantageously, the color of the colored transparent stone (10) in the timepiece (1) is enhanced by that of the support (20).
US09820522B2

A helmet, has a shell that includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has first, second and third layers. The second layer is positioned between the first layer and the third layer. The second layer is less dense than the first layer and the third layer. The second portion has a plurality of enemy dissipaters. Each of the energy dissipaters has a rod that extends in a spiraling manner from a fixed end to a free end. The rod tapers continuously along its length from the fixed end to the free end so that the fixed end exhibits a larger internal cross sectional area than the free end. The free end is capable of vibrating when the helmet is impacted by an object in order to dissipate impact energy.
US09820521B2

The present invention relates to a bracing strut for preventing pants from slipping down. The bracing strut according, to the present invention comprises: holders (4) on the left and right of the front side of a waist band (B) of a pair of pants (P); and sockets (5) formed on a buckle (5a) on the left and right of the front side of a hip belt (G) to be worn on a body, wherein the pants (P) are supported by the hip belt due to the bracing strut in such a manner that, after the hip belt (G) is fastened on the body and then the pants are worn, both ends of the bracing strut (S) are supported between the holders (4) provided in the waist band (B) of the pants (P) and the sockets (5) provided in the hip belt (G). According to the present invention, no pressure is applied to the abdomen because a waist belt is not fastened to wear a pair of pants, contrary to a conventional manner, and shoulder straps, are not slipped down because suspenders are not used. Thus, everybody can wear a pair of formal pants in a comfortable and unrestricted way.
US09820517B2

Disclosed is a carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition, including 0.1-10 parts by weight of a reactive emulsifier based on 100 parts by weight of a monomer mixture, wherein the monomer mixture includes 40-88 wt % of a conjugated diene-based monomer, 10-50 wt % of an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomer and 0.1-10 wt % of an ethylenically unsaturated acid monomer. Also disclosed are a method of preparing the carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition and a latex composition for dip molding including the same. The carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition reduces generation of foam through the use of a reactive emulsifier different from the conventional adsorption/desorption type emulsifier, thereby preventing degradation of the quality of latex caused by foam. In addition, the carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition avoids a need for introducing a defoaming agent for removing foam or maturation process.
US09820514B2

A load-bearing garment, such as a vest, is provided having stretchable web platform on an outside surface, such as between front and back panels of the vest. The stretchable web platform includes stretchable bands that extend horizontally, and vertical webbing extending between multiple horizontal bands. Additional embodiments are directed to a mounting system in a plate carrier for a plate. Still further embodiments are directed to a handle and strap system for a vest or other garment that permits a quick rescue of a person wearing the vest.
US09820487B2

A compound represented by formula (I) or a salt thereof has an inhibitory action on abscisic acid 8′-hydroxylase CYP707A. The compound or a salt thereof can be used as a plant growth regulator. wherein R is a C1-6 alkyl group, and the C1-6 alkyl group optionally have a substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom and a C1-6 alkoxy group.
US09820479B2

A “full body” turkey decoy having one or more of a movable head and a movable neck is controlled remotely by the operator to produce a life-like animation of the decoy. The movable head bobs to the ground and the movable neck arches and straightens, simulating realistic activity. The movable components of the decoy are controlled remotely by means of one or more pull cords, with movement of the components achieved by the use of springs and counterweights.
US09820476B2

The invention relates generally to genetically modified non-human animals expressing human polypeptides and their methods of use.
US09820473B2

Implementations described and claimed herein provide apparatuses and methods for providing different perch positions for feeding birds. In one implementation, a bird feeder includes a reservoir having a wall defining an interior. The wall has a wall opening to provide access to the interior. A port is mounted on the wall relative to the wall opening. The port includes a protruding portion extending from a surface. The protruding portion defines an opening providing access to the wall opening. A perch has a projecting portion extending from a surface covering the opening defined by the protruding portion. The surface has one or more holes providing access to the opening. The perch is connected to the port such that the projecting portion is moveable to a plurality of positions relative to an axis line extending through a center of the opening defined by the protruding portion.
US09820467B1

A novel maize variety designated PH26B5 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH26B5 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH26B5 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are provided. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts are produced by crossing the variety PH26B5 or a locus conversion of PH26B5 with another maize variety.
US09820464B1

A novel maize variety designated PH256Z and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH256Z with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH256Z through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are provided. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts are produced by crossing the variety PH256Z or a locus conversion of PH256Z with another maize variety.
US09820455B1

A novel maize variety designated X08H716 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X08H716 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08H716 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08H716, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08H716. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08H716.
US09820449B1

A fill tube for a water filled plant protector is formed by folding the top edge of the outer wall of the protector between the inner and outer walls and capturing the edge with the welds that create the vertical columns. The protector is filled through a port in the tube. Air is vented as the columns fill with water through the open top of each column.
US09820444B2

A lopper a lopping assembly mounted to an upper end of a pole, said lopping assembly includes a movable knife and a counter knife. The movable knife is connected via a first transmission and connection assembly to an operating assembly disposed at a lower end of the pole, which is configured to move the movable knife and/or the counter knife in a direction to one another. The operating assembly includes first and second actuating elements. The first actuating element is coupled to the first transmission and connection assembly and the second actuating element is coupled via a second transmission and connection assembly and releasable latching assembly to the first actuating element. Movement of the second actuating element away from the first actuation element causes, via the second transmission and connection assembly, a movement of the first actuating element in said first direction.
US09820436B2

A combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank is provided. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.
US09820427B2

A seed tube guard for agricultural planters is cast from a high-chrome cast-iron alloy or manufactured from other wear-resistant material. The seed tube guard has a leading front surface, a trailing rear surface, and respective right and left surfaces. A fluid delivery channel is integrated within the body of the seed tube guard between the leading front surface and the trailing rear surface, and between the right and left surfaces. The fluid delivery channel has an entrance and an exit with the exit located below and rearward of the entrance for delivering fluid into a seed furrow ahead of a seed tube exit.
US09820424B2

An agricultural implement has front flotation wheels with a significantly increased diameter, increasing flotation and improving rolling characteristics, especially in soft soil conditions. The implement has a frame supported on front and rear wheels. Front flotation wheels are pivotally mounted to the frame about vertical axes. A hitch tongue is pivotally attached to the frame about a vertical hitch pivot axis. A wheel control mechanism connects the front flotation wheels to the hitch tongue, and is configured such that when the hitch tongue is in a neutral position the front flotation wheels roll in the operating direction, and pivoting the hitch tongue causes the front flotation wheels to pivot in the same direction.
US09826669B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a display panel having a display surface, a light source substrate, a heat sink, and a frame having a bottom surface. The light source substrate is arranged in a rearward direction opposite to a display direction of the display panel. The light source substrate has on it a light source that illuminates the display panel. The heat sink is arranged in the rearward direction from the light source substrate. The heat sink has a base attached to the light source substrate and fins each extending in the rearward direction from the base, to dissipate heat generated in the light source. The bottom surface is arranged in the rearward direction from the base. The bottom surface has a plurality of stirs into which the fins are inserted. The frame houses the light source substrate and the heat sink.
US09826668B2

Provided are a composite sheet and a mobile terminal having the same, in which the composite sheet includes: a first heat insulation member having a plurality of fine pores to form air pockets for thermal insulation; and a second insulation member which is laminated on the first insulation member, and which facilitates a horizontal direction transfer of heat conducted hut suppresses a vertical direction transfer thereof.
US09826654B2

A display includes: a plate member having flexibility and including a first face and a second face that face each other; a frame member provided on the first face of the plate member and extending in one direction of the first face; and a display body having flexibility and disposed on a side of the plate member on which the second face is provided.
US09826653B2

An accessory is provided that includes power supply module, a first functional module, and a second functional module. The power supply module can be configured to be suspended beneath an overhead support, such as a hub of an umbrella. The first functional module is configured to affix to the power supply module and to be powered by the power supply module to provide a user directed function. The second functional module is configured to be detachably coupled to either the power supply module or the first functional module to receive power from the power supply module directly or through the first functional module.
US09826642B1

A circuit board structure includes a multi-layer board and a ceramic resistor embedded in the multi-layer board. The ceramic resistor includes a ceramic sheet, a plurality of connecting pads spacedly arranged on the ceramic sheet, and a plurality of resistance layers arranged on the ceramic sheet. At least one of the resistance layers is arranged between and electrically connected to any two of the connecting pads for providing a resistance value. The number of the resistance values provided by the ceramic resistor is more than the number of the resistance layers. The multi-layer board has a plurality of contacts arranged apart from each other, and the contacts are respectively and electrically connected to the connecting pads.
US09826634B2

A method for fabricating a conductive trace structure includes the steps: forming a first metal layer on a non-conductive substrate; removing a part of the first metal layer to expose the non-conductive substrate so as to form the first metal layer into a plating region and a non-plating region, the plating region being divided into at least two trace-forming portions and at least one bridge portion; forming a second metal layer on the plating region by electroplating the plating region using one of the trace-forming portions and the bridge portion as an electrode; and removing the bridge portion and the second metal layer formed on the bridge portion.
US09826631B2

A repeater includes two connectors each including electrodes and configured to connect a communication cable through which a differential signal is transmitted, a circuit board on which the two connectors are mounted and which includes a signal transmission section configured to connect corresponding electrodes of the two connectors together, and a signal detection circuit mounted on the circuit board and configured to extract a part of a signal transmitted through the signal transmission section and indicate the presence or absence of information communication based on the extracted signal. The circuit board includes a multi-layer substrate including at least an inner layer in which the signal transmission section is formed, two shield layers configured to interpose the signal transmission section therebetween, and an outer layer outside the shield layer on which the signal detection circuit is mounted.
US09826609B1

The present invention discloses a stroboscopic lamp apparatus comprising a main control module and a number of LED modules. The main control module comprises a main CPU and a battery module supplying power to the stroboscopic lamp apparatus. The output terminal of the main CPU connects to two power bus lines. Each of the LED modules consists of a slave module and a number of LED wafers. The slave module comprises a slave CPU. The slave CPU comprises two bus connection pins, a number of address pins, and a number of output pins. The two bus connection pins are connected to the two power bus lines respectively. Different voltages are applied to the the address pins in order to configure different communication addresses. The output pins are connected to the plurality of the LED wafers.
US09826604B2

A state change device may be electrically connected to a switched receptacle, or to both the switched and unswitched receptacles, of an outlet. The state change device may generate a change of state signal when power is applied to, or removed from, the switched receptacle. The state change device may wirelessly communicate the signal. The state change device may include a load control circuit that may be configured to control the amount of power delivered to an electrical load that is electrically connected to the state change device. The state change device may receive commands directed to the load control circuit. The state change device may be deployed in a load control system and may operate as a control entity, such that the state change device may issue commands to one or more load control devices, responsive to the application or removal of power at the switched receptacle.
US09826600B2

A system includes a lighting unit, and a primary processor. The lighting unit includes a lighting module, and a lighting driver supplying power to the lighting module. The lighting module includes: one or more light sources, one or more sensors for sensing data indicating one or more operating parameters of the lighting module, and a secondary processor receiving the sensed data. The primary processor and the secondary processor communicate with each other according to a message-based communication protocol wherein each message communicated between the primary processor and the secondary processor has an identical message format and includes a command field and a response field wherein the response field is provided for indicating a response to a command.
US09826598B2

A lighting fixture includes a solid-state light source, communications circuitry, and control circuitry coupled to the communications circuitry and the solid-state light source. The control circuitry is configured to receive a message from a neighboring device via the communications circuitry, the message indicating the detection of an occupancy event by the neighboring device. Further, the control circuitry is configured to adjust a light output provided by the solid-state light source based on a neighbor ranking of the neighboring device, wherein the neighbor ranking indicates a number of intermediate devices located between the lighting fixture and the neighboring device.
US09826595B2

A linear light-emitting diode (LED)-based solid-state lamp comprises an LED driving circuit, LED arrays, at least one rectifier, and an operation monitoring module. The LED driving circuit comprises a current sensing device that is originally used to precisely control an electric current to flow into the LED arrays. The operation monitoring module uses the same current sensing device in a way that it detects an electric shock current and determines if the linear LED-based solid-state lamp is operated in a normal mode or in an electric shock hazard mode. When an electric shock hazard is identified, the operation monitoring module shut off a return current flow from the LED arrays to reach the at least one rectifier, thus eliminating an overall through-lamp electric shock current. The scheme can effectively reduce a risk of electric shock hazard to users during relamping or maintenance.
US09826593B2

A device, system, process, and method of manufacturing provides use of at least two LED lighting sources to provide auxiliary component modules. Embodiments can be used in a variety of industries, including city street lamps, indoor lighting systems, lighting systems in automobiles, train lighting systems, tunnel lighting systems, building lighting systems, networked lighting systems, and other systems that could benefit from flexibility and ease in changing circuit components for time-based, usage-based, or fault-based detected situations.
US09826590B2

A two-level LED security light with a motion sensor. At night, the LED is turned on for a low level illumination. When the motion sensor detects any intrusion, the LED is switched from the low level illumination to a high level illumination for a short duration time. After the short duration time, the LED security light returns to the low level illumination for saving energy. The LED security light includes a power supply unit, a light sensing control unit, a motion sensing unit, a loading and power control unit, and a lighting-emitting unit. The lighting-emitting unit includes one or a plurality of LEDs which may be turned-on or turned-off according to the sensing results from the light sensing control unit. When the motion sensing unit detects an intrusion, the illumination of the LED security light can be immediately turned on to the high level to scare away the intruder.
US09826584B2

A power circuit for an LED lighting device including an alternative current (AC) power supply, a dimmer, a transformer and a dimming control circuit. The dimming control circuit includes a filtering unit configured to filter a voltage signal outputted from the transformer and a rectifying unit configured to receive the signal outputted from the filtering unit and rectify the signal to a DC signal. The dimming control circuit also includes a boost converter unit configured to boost the received DC voltage to a needed DC voltage and a voltage feedback control circuit unit configured to control the DC voltage boosted by the boost converter unit. Further, the dimming control circuit includes a buck converter unit configured to convert the boosted DC voltage to the voltage and current needed by the LED lighting device and a digital control unit configured to automatically adjust current strength needed by the buck converter unit.
US09826582B2

A strike barrier for use in an LED retrofit lamp is provided. The present invention provides the strike barrier with two silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) whose input is connected to a bridge rectifier and output is connected to a string of LED through a Zener diode. The strike barrier is compatible with UL ANSI requirement for a normal mode and an abnormal mode.
US09826579B2

A lighting system includes an EL unit having a light emitter, a holding frame that holds the EL unit, and a control unit that controls lighting of the EL unit, wherein the holding frame includes a rail-shaped conductive member, and power and communication signals are transmitted between the control unit and the EL unit through the conductive member. With this configuration, since the connection between the control unit and the EL unit is made by the conductive member provided on the holding frame, which holds the EL unit, space for wiring in a residential space can be reduced. Further, simply by placing the holding frame on a mounting surface and attaching the EL unit and the control unit to the holding frame, they are connected. Therefore, without special skills, a resident can install the lighting system as appropriate and can easily replace the EL unit.
US09826571B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for configuring and managing mesh nodes during occasional failure of mesh nodes or addition of new mesh nodes. The disclosed system first determines whether a mesh node is a mesh portal or a mesh point. If it is a mesh portal, the mesh node will advertise its capacity as a mesh portal to other mesh nodes in the network. If it is a mesh point, the mesh node attempts to automatically recover connection to the wireless mesh network if it identifies a unique wireless network based on its associated network identifier. If more than one network identifiers are discovered, the mesh node delays establishing connection to the wireless mesh network until a selection is received.
US09826570B1

Apparatuses and methods for a wireless communication device having multiple Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) in which a first SIM is associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) subscription that supports IMS services. The method includes but not limited to, determining that an IMS activity has completed at the IMS subscription, and determining whether a timer for a scheduled IMS signaling exceeds a time threshold. The timer indicates a time duration until performing the scheduled IMS signaling as scheduled. The method further includes, in response to determining that the timer does not exceed the time threshold, performing the scheduled IMS signaling and releasing a connection for the IMS subscription.
US09826560B2

A method for providing a service by a transparent internet cache (TIC) server in a communication network supporting a multipath transport control protocol (MPTCP) is provided. The method includes establishing an MPTCP connection with a user equipment (UE) and an original server through a first network, upon receiving a service provision request from the UE, releasing the MPTCP connection established among the TIC server, the UE, and the original server if data related to a service corresponding to the service provision request is cached, and providing the service corresponding to the service provision request to the UE.
US09826553B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to handling of connection setups. More particularly, they relate to a method performed in a UE (4) for requesting a connection set up with a network node (2). The UE (4) receives a signal comprising a set of classifying parameters and based on these parameters determines at least one class to which it belongs to. The UE (4) also receives a PRACH preamble scheme associated with said class to be used by the UE (4) during a connection setup request. The method further controls the timing of transmitting at least one request, signal for requesting a connection setup with the network node (2) according to the received PRACH preamble scheme. Embodiments herein also relate to a method performed in a network node (2), and to a network node (2) and to a UE (4).
US09826545B2

An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving performance metric information from a plurality of small cell radios, wherein the performance metric information includes, at least in part, a number of user equipment that are to be scheduled on a first type and a second type of subframes for each small cell radio; determining resource allocation parameters for the plurality of small cell radios; exchanging interference information between two or more small cell radios of the plurality of small cell radios that includes an indication of whether a particular small cell radio is interfering with or is interfered by another small cell radio of the two or more small cell radios; and scheduling downlink resource transmissions on the first type and the second type of subframes for user equipment served by the two or more small cell radios.
US09826534B2

An automatically adjustable radiofrequency link system includes a radiofrequency transmitter configured to transmit a signal at a frequency of transmission within an extremely high frequency (EHF) band. The system further includes a receiving device configured to receive the transmitted signal and provide feedback to a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the transmitter and the receiving device, wherein the feedback is related to the received signal. The processing circuit is configured to determine required signal properties based on the feedback and determine signal loss properties including an effect of atmospheric absorption, as a function of frequency; determine a modification to the transmitted signal using the signal loss properties and the required signal properties; and adjust the frequency of transmission to obtain a desired transmission signal using the modification.
US09826530B2

A communication system that improves the total throughput of the communication is provided. A communication system (1) according to the present invention includes a plurality of terminals and an access point (201) with which the terminals communicate. The terminal acquires the number of terminals in a communication network of the access point (201), and divides, based on the number of terminals, the plurality of terminals into groups so that each group includes the number of terminals equal to or smaller than the number of terminals permitted to communicate with the access point (201) within a predetermined period. The terminal allocates the group to the predetermined period, and determines, based on the group to which a terminal belongs, whether to permit data transmission within the predetermined period to which the group is allocated.
US09826524B2

Various methods and systems are provided for space, frequency and time domain coexistence of RF signals. In one example, among others, a communication device includes a coexistence manager capable of monitoring operating conditions of a cellular modem and a coexistence assistant capable of monitoring operating conditions of a wireless connectivity unit. The coexistence manager is capable of modifying operation of the modem and/or unit based on an operating condition change. In another example, a method includes detecting a change in antenna isolation and/or operating temperature of a FE filter, determining filtering characteristics of the FE filter based at least in part upon the change, and modifying communications of coexisting communication protocols based at least in part upon the filtering characteristics. In another example, a TX/RX configuration for coexisting communication protocols is determined and communications in a protocol is modified based at least in part upon the TX/RX configuration.
US09826523B2

The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for semi-persistent scheduling for eIMTA in LTE. An exemplary method includes receiving signaling configuring the UE with a first subframe configuration; determining a reference subframe configuration for downlink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) operation; receiving a control channel in a first subframe activating semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) for at least one of uplink or downlink SPS transmissions; determining whether or not to transmit the at least one uplink or downlink SPS in one or more second subframes based on at least one of the activating control channel, the first subframe configuration, or the reference subframe configuration; transmitting the at least one uplink or downlink SPS in the one or more second subframes based at least in part on the activating control channel.
US09826497B2

A method and system for determining whether a beacon device is abnormal using a service server are disclosed herein. The service server includes an approach information reception unit, a pattern information generation unit, and a detection unit. The approach information reception unit receives approach information related to any one of a plurality of beacon devices from a user terminal over a network. The pattern information generation unit generates pattern information about a pattern in which the user terminal approaches the plurality of beacon devices based on a plurality of pieces of approach information received from a plurality of user terminals. The detection unit determines whether any one of the plurality of beacon devices is abnormal based on a change in the pattern information generated by the pattern information generation unit.
US09826493B2

A method transmitting packets in a wireless network including a node, a first data sink and a second data sink is disclosed. The method performs a synchronization of the node with the first data sink and the second data sink and transmits first data packets from the node to the first data sink at a first allocated time synchronized with the first data sink. Next, the method transmits second data packets from the node to the second data sink at a second allocated time synchronized with the second data sink. The first and the second data packets are transmitted without updating the synchronization.
US09826487B2

A method of controlling the respective transmit powers allocated by a base station of a cellular communications network to each of a plurality of sub-bands is provided. Information from at least one other base station of the network is received, the information comprising information about a sensitivity of a utility function in a cell served by the other base station to changes in powers allocated to respective sub-bands by the base station. A sub-band is identified in which it would be relatively advantageous to increase a transmit power. It is determined whether a factor relating to a happiness of users in the cell exceeds a threshold value. The transmit power in the identified sub-band is increased only if the happiness factor is less than the threshold value.
US09826486B2

One example method of operation of a basestation in a mobile communications network is disclosed. The basestation may operate on a carrier channel and may be a member of a group of such basestations within the network. The method comprises establishing the presence of an adjacent basestation outside the group, which basestation operates on a carrier channel at least partially overlapping the carrier channel of the basestation and determining a degree of association between the basestation and the adjacent basestation with reference to other group members. The method further comprises setting at least one of a maximum downlink power for transmissions from the basestation and a maximum uplink power for transmissions from user equipment devices attached to the basestation, based on the degree of association between the basestation and the adjacent basestation. Also disclosed is a basestation operating in accordance with such a method.
US09826485B2

A method for power management of a mobile device includes detecting whether a removable power source has been removed from the mobile device. In response to detecting that the power source has been removed, entering a hot swap mode for a first time period by deactivating a first component of the mobile device and maintaining, via a backup power source in the mobile device, a powered state of a second component of the mobile device and an application state of the mobile device. The method further includes, after the first time period, entering a suspend mode for a second time period by deactivating the second component and continuing to maintain the application state of the mobile device for the second time period.
US09826481B2

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection close to improve a battery life time of a client such as a smart phone in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of operating a client in a wireless communication system includes determining a data transfer inactivity time of at least one of TCP connections, and closing the at least one of TCP connections at the data transfer inactivity time.
US09826480B2

Methods and apparatus for paging comprise receiving data destined for a UE. The methods and apparatus further comprise determining a short identity for the UE relative to a longer global user equipment identity and identifying a MIB transmission based on a short identity. Moreover, the methods and apparatus comprise activating a bit within a slot of the MIB transmission to indicate that the user equipment listen for a page in order to receive the data and broadcasting the MIB. In other aspects, methods and apparatus for receiving a page comprise entering an idle state while camped on a cell. The methods and apparatus further comprise waking up from the idle state to monitor a slot of a MIB for a paging indication. Moreover, the methods and apparatus comprise recognizing the paging indication in the monitored slot of the MIB, determining a paging window based on correlation information in a SIB and waking up to listen for a page during the paging window.
US09826479B2

A hybrid low power network device comprising: a wave 1 radio configured to provide client devices wireless access to a network using SU-MIMO, a wave 2 radio configured to provide the client devices wireless access to the network using MU-MIMO, a radio management system configured to assign client devices to either the wave 1 radio or the wave 2 radio for communicating over wireless communication channels in accessing the network, first and second Ethernet ports, wherein at least one of the first and second Ethernet ports are configured to provide power to the hybrid low power network device and allow at least one of the wave 1 radio and the wave 2 radio to communicate with the network, in operation the hybrid low power network device is configured to operate at a power consumption level between 15 and 17 W in providing the client devices wireless access to the network.
US09826469B2

A communications device for improving frequency band support includes a radio frequency signal processing device, a baseband signal processing device, a memory device and a processor. The RF signal processing device processes RF signals to generate baseband signals. The baseband signal processing device processes the baseband signals. The processor determines whether the communications device supports at least one frequency band of a first type of communication service supported by a network; and performs a scanning procedure according to a priority when the communications device does not support the at least one frequency band, wherein the scanning procedure includes scanning all frequency bands of the first type of communication service supported by the communications device.
US09826468B2

A method for receiving information of a user equipment (UE) by an eNodeB is discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes receiving, by the eNodeB from a mobility management entity (MME), a request message including QoS-related information and an indication of whether the UE is a closed subscriber group (CSG) member; updating, by the eNodeB, context of the UE according to the request message, when the UE is connected to a cell in associated with the eNodeB, the cell is operating in a hybrid access mode, and the CSG membership to the cell has expired; and transmitting, to the MME, a message indicating that the context of the UE has changed.
US09826460B2

An efficient approach for a mobile device apparatus that is out of network coverage to communicate with the network is desired. The apparatus may be a user equipment (UE). The apparatus receives one or more device-to-device (D2D) signals respectively from one or more proximate UEs. The apparatus measures signal strength of the one or more D2D signals based on signal strength of one or more resource elements used for receiving one and/or more reference signals of the one or more D2D signals or signal strength of one or more resource elements used for receiving one or more data parts of the one or more D2D signals. The apparatus selects one of the one or more proximate UEs as a relay UE based on the measurement of the signal strength of the one or more D2D signals, to communicate with the base station via the selected relay UE.
US09826457B1

Femtocell coverage can be extended across a coverage area by providing a cluster of femtocell access points (FAPs). Each FAP is independently registered with a core network and provisioned with a location area code common to each FAP. At hand-in from the macrocell network, an association is made between the mobile station and the hand-in FAP, which becomes an anchor FAP for the duration of the mobile station's presence within the cluster. Calls between the mobile station and the core network are routed via a servicing FAP of the cluster and the anchor FAP.
US09826448B2

Managing handover procedures of two or more modems from a serving base station to a target base station includes receiving at least one message indicative of at least one measurement report of radio conditions from at least one modem of the two or more modems; determining, based on the at least one message, whether to handover the two or more modems from the serving base station to the target base station; and upon determining to handover the two or more modems from the serving base station to the target base station, indicating to each of the two or more modems to send to the serving base station a measurement report configured to trigger a respective handover procedure from the serving base station to the target base station.
US09826444B2

The present disclosure describes a method, an apparatus, and a computer readable medium for managing handovers at a base station. For example, the method may include receiving a request for STX to one or more connected user equipments (UEs), identifying whether one or more conditions have to be satisfied prior to initiating of the STX, and determining whether the one or more conditions are satisfied. The example method further includes initiating the STX at the base station in response to the identifying and the determining and performing a corrective action for managing the handovers in response to the initiating of the STX.
US09826442B2

According to some aspects, a first base station employing a first beamforming codebook may receive a second beamforming codebook from a second base station. The first beamforming codebook may comprise a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the first base station, and the second beamforming codebook may comprise a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may receive at least one message from the second base station indicating a subset of the plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may select one or more first beamforming codewords from the first beamforming codebook based on the indicated subset of the plurality of codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may transmit signals to at least one wireless device employing the one or more first beamforming codewords.
US09826441B2

Provided are an apparatus and a method for performing a handover of a terminal in a wireless communication system. In the method, a ranging code is transmitted to a target base station on which a handover is to be performed. A ranging response message comprising Connection Identification (CID) update information is received from the target base station together with resource assignment information for transmission of a ranging request message. Therefore, fast resumption of downlink data reception of the terminal can be supported through fast CID update during a handover.
US09826433B2

According to a disclosed embodiment, a flow indication counter is incremented each time a data packet is transmitted from a buffer. When the number of data packets transmitted equals or exceeds a threshold number, a flow indication message comprising the buffer window size is generated and transmitted to the base station controller. Further, flow indication messages can be generated and transmitted every threshold time interval, independently of the number of data packets transmitted to ensure that flow indication messages are sent at least every preset time interval. Moreover, a system for flow control can be constructed comprising a flow indication counter module configured to provide an updated number of data packets transmitted. The system further comprises a window size monitoring module which determines the buffer window size and a message generating module which generates a flow indication message comprising the buffer window size.
US09826431B2

A transmission method including: a spreading code channel selection for selecting randomly a spreading code channel for CDMA spreading of transmission data, a time slot channel selection for selecting randomly a time slot channel for transmitting the CDMA-spread transmission data, a frequency channel selection for selecting randomly a frequency channel for transmitting the CMDA-spread transmission data, and a transmission for transmitting the transmission data CDMA-spread in the spreading code channel selected in the spreading code channel selection, using the time slot channel selected in the time slot channel selection, at a frequency corresponding to the frequency channel selected in the frequency channel selection.
US09826429B2

In some implementations, a method of a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmitter includes, in response to interference with a long term evolution (LTE) receiver, determining a de-sense value of the LTE receiver; determining a transmission rate for the WLAN transmitter, the transmission rate requiring an equal or lower receiver sensitivity than a received signal strength threshold; determining a frame aggregation size based on the transmission rate and an LTE frame configuration for the LTE receiver; determining a transmission power based on the de-sense value; and transmitting data during a downlink receiving period of the LTE receiver using the transmission rate, the frame aggregation size, and the transmission power.
US09826422B2

The controlling of an operation of an application is implemented in a communication network by obtaining network identification and cell load information for a bearer in order to compute an actual transport block size per physical resource block (ATpP) slope for the bearer. A user equipment (UE) location corresponding to the bearer is associated with geographic pixel information in order to calculate an interference vector. The interference vector is used to compute a coverage map tuple that is used to control the operation of the application. Throughput can also be predicted using the coverage map tuple.
US09826417B2

The present disclosure discloses an MBMS service reception and capability transmission method and device. In this method, the terminal device may send the information of the MBMS service of interest of the terminal device or the information of the MBMS service, which is being received, to the network device and the MBMS service reception capability information of the terminal device via a message. If an MBMS frequency point corresponding to the MBMS service of interest of the terminal device or the MBMS frequency point corresponding to the MBMS service, which is being received, is within a reception capability scope of the terminal device in a current configuration, the message reported by the terminal device to the network device includes: the MBMS frequency point.
US09826415B1

Systems, devices, and techniques described herein are directed to a tactical wireless base station, and applications thereof. A tactical wireless base station may include a plurality of hardware or software radios configured to facilitate communication over any wireless protocol. The tactical wireless base station may be deployed on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to search for a wireless signal of a target user equipment (UE) corresponding to a lost hiker, for example, in an area out of range of traditional base stations, and/or to locate the target UE to convey the location to rescuers. In some instances, a tactical wireless base station can be deployed in a handheld device and may coordinate with other tactical wireless base stations in order to triangulate a location of user equipment. Further, the tactical wireless base stations may be deployed during network outages to provide indications of events, such as during emergencies.
US09826414B2

Systems and methods for designing cellular backhaul networks are disclosed. The system can include an Adaptive Graph Minimum Spanning Tree (AG-MST) algorithm to identify and connect stranded cellular sites at minimum cost. The system can compare pending bids for new connections such as, for example, new microwave or fiber optic links at stranded sites to provide new connectivity. The system can design a network that connects the maximum number of stranded sites at the minimum average cost per site.
US09826411B2

A method for supporting radio access network sharing is usable in connection with a hosting RAN (radio access network) provided by a hosting RAN provider. The hosting RAN includes one or more cells that are served by radio access network resources of the hosting RAN. At least one participating operator uses allocated shared radio access network resources of the hosting RAN provided by the hosting RAN provider under a sharing agreement. A controlling entity supervises shared radio access network resource utilization of the participating operator in the cells of the hosting RAN.
US09826410B2

A distributed antenna system is provided for communicating with a plurality of base stations. The distributed antenna system includes a system controller and a master unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of base stations. A remote unit communicates over a high data rate media with the master unit and/or a downstream remote unit. Alternatively, the distributed antenna system includes a controller and a digital time/space crosspoint switch controlled by the controller. A digitizing transceiver is in communication with the digital time/space crosspoint switch. The crosspoint switch is configured to transmit and receive digital data through the digitizing transceiver.
US09826409B2

Techniques for the reuse of airlink resources in a cellular network are disclosed. A base station controller may gather information about load levels at adjacent sectors of the cellular network. The base station controller may generate and distribute a reuse reference to base stations serving mobile devices in the adjacent sectors. Alternatively, the base station controller may provide the load level information to base stations serving the adjacent sectors and the base stations may determine a sector reuse pattern. The reuse reference or reuse pattern may be adapted to sector load conditions and may designate any combination of carriers, time slots, and power levels for data transmission in a sector. The base stations may schedule data transmission to mobile devices in their respective sectors according to the reuse reference or reuse pattern. The base stations may modify their resource usage in response to changes in sector load.
US09826401B2

A device forwards a set of packets between a first network device, associated with a first network, and a second network device, associated with a second network. The set of packets may be associated with permitting access, by a set of mobile devices connected to the first network, to the second network. The device may generate and store configuration information, identifying the set of mobile devices, based on the set of packets. The device may receive, from a third network device, a request associated with establishing a communication session between the third network device and a fourth network device associated with the second network, may determine, based on the configuration information, whether a particular mobile device, associated with the request, is permitted to establish the communication session, and may selectively create the communication session based on determining that the particular mobile device is permitted to establish the communication session.
US09826398B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide a secure establishment method, system and device of a wireless local area network. The method includes: acquiring, by a UE, a first key; the first key is a shared key of the UE and a network element equipment in a mobile communication network to which the UE is accessed when implementing air interface security, or is derived according to the shared key; deriving, by the UE, according to the first key and a derivation parameter to acquire a derivation key; establishing, by the UE, according to the derivation key, secure connection with a WLAN node acquiring a derivation key, wherein the derivation key acquired by the WLAN node is the same as the derivation key acquired by the UE.
US09826396B2

A method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving privacy information are disclosed. The method includes transmitting a connection (ATTACH) message including a terminal type indication, privacy type, privacy indication, and transmission period, receiving a connection complete (ATTACH ACCEPT) message; and transmitting location information. According to the embodiments of the present invention, the method and the apparatus for transmitting and receiving privacy information can provide an adequate protection for the privacy information in a terminal.
US09826386B2

A machine-to-machine (M2M) modem may receive a request for device information identifying one or more M2M devices that are connected with the M2M modem. The M2M modem may obtain the device information associated with the one or more M2M devices. The M2M modem may provide the device information. The M2M modem may receive configuration information, based on which to communicate with the one or more M2M devices, based on providing the device information. The M2M modem may communicate with the one or more M2M devices based on the configuration information.
US09826385B2

The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates beyond 4th-generation (4G) communication system such as a long term evolution (LTE). The present invention relates to a method for selecting, by a device, a peer discovery resource (PDR) in a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, the method comprising the steps of: determining a PDR selection range which can be selected by the device; and selecting a PDR in the determined PDR selection range.
US09826383B2

Disclosed are a system and a method for providing a service using a terminal scanning device. When the terminal scanning device scans for a terminal located within a particular range, executes a particular application pre-installed in a terminal found through the scanning, and provides user information of the found terminal to a service server, the found terminal receives a particular service related to the user information from the service server through a link with the particular application executed by the terminal scanning device. Therefore, necessary information can be automatically provided to the terminal when the terminal approaches a particular place such as a shop or a building without a continuous scanning operation.
US09826376B2

Several methods are provided for communicating emergency call capability information between a station and an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network. The methods include advertising by the AP of its emergency call capabilities and announcing by the station of its emergency call capabilities. The AP can advertise its emergency call capabilities in a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a reassociation response frame, or a reauthentication response frame. The station can announce its emergency call capabilities in an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, an authentication request frame, or a reauthentication request frame.
US09826371B2

A method of a short message service (SMS) manager is disclosed for a wireless communication device supporting a plurality of SMS communication modes, wherein the method comprises receiving, from an application of the wireless communication device, an SMS transmission instruction comprising an SMS payload and an SMS message type characterizer, which comprises at least one of an SMS broadcast flag and an SMS grouping identifier.
US09826366B2

In one embodiment, a location of a mobile device may be obtained. A direction of movement of the mobile device may be ascertained. A field of vision of a user of the mobile device may be determined based, at least in part, on the location of the mobile device and the direction of movement of the mobile device. A user profile associated with the user and/or the mobile device may be identified. A notification may be provided via the mobile device based, at least in part, upon the user profile and the field of vision of the user.
US09826365B2

A method for determining a location of a target device and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method includes acquiring an image photographing a first electronic device, determining a distance between the second electronic device and the first electronic device based on the acquired image, determining a direction in which the second electronic device photographs the first electronic device, determining a location of any one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the decided distance and direction, and registering the determined location.
US09826359B2

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to associate geographic locations with user devices. An example method includes receiving, at a server, a request including source identifying information and monitoring information, the monitoring information sent by a device in response to accessing media, the source identifying information associated with a router connecting a private network to a public network. The example method also includes identifying a location identifier of the device based on the source identifying information and the monitoring information. The example method also includes attributing a geographic location to the device based on the location identifier.
US09826351B2

A method for distributed beacon management, including: broadcasting a packet from the beacon; receiving the packet at an application executing on a plurality of user devices; and transmitting beacon information extracted from the packet to the management system from the application.
US09826350B1

An indoor positioning system and an indoor positioning method allow all of the wireless base stations and mobile terminals in the same interior space to synchronously generate their time slots. Further, each mobile terminal transmits a positioning signal only at a preset time point in each time slot to prevent collisions between mobile terminals transmitting the positioning signals.
US09826336B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a frame supporting a short MAC header in a wireless LAN system. A method for receiving a frame by a station (STA) in a wireless communication system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention may comprise the steps of: receiving the frame including a sequence control (SC) field; determining a packet number (PN) using the value of the SC field and a partial PN value stored in the STA; and performing decryption for the frame using the PN. When the decryption is performed after reordering a block ACK for the frame, an operation can be performed to increase the partial PN value stored in the STA by 1 if the sequence number value of the SC field of the received frame is less than the previous sequence number value.
US09826328B2

Embodiments are described for a system of rendering object-based audio content through a system that includes individually addressable drivers, including at least one driver that is configured to project sound waves toward one or more surfaces within a listening environment for reflection to a listening area within the listening environment; a renderer configured to receive and process audio streams and one or more metadata sets associated with each of the audio streams and specifying a playback location of a respective audio stream; and a playback system coupled to the renderer and configured to render the audio streams to a plurality of audio feeds corresponding to the array of audio drivers in accordance with the one or more metadata sets.
US09826325B2

A system to automate networked routing of audio in a live sound system includes a computing device having a processor and memory and in which the system is configurable for a venue. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor to route audio signals over a network based on user selection of source audio signals from a transmitting audio device and on logical grouping of loudspeakers by the user from within a graphical user interface. The processor, for each receiving audio device channel of the group of loudspeakers (such as bandpass inputs), identifies power amplifiers and/or digital signal processors (DSPs) (which may be integrated within a powered loudspeaker) through which to route the selected source audio signals; and then routes the selected source audio signals from the selected transmitting audio device over the network to the receiving audio device channels through channels of the identified power amplifiers and/or DSPs.
US09826303B2

A portable terminal and a portable terminal system that allows a user to hear an ambient sound highly necessary for the user while wearing an earphone on his/her ear are provided. An ambient sound output determination module is configured to determine whether or not an ambient sound should be output to the earphone based on a sound signal received from at least one microphone of a first microphone and a second microphone. A sound output control module is configured to output the sound signal received from the at least one microphone to the earphone if it is determined that the ambient sound should be output to the earphone.
US09826301B2

A case for a portable listening device includes a rechargeable battery and a first and a second charging system. The first charging system is configured to charge the portable listening device and the second charging system is configured to wirelessly charge a portable electronic device positioned outside of the case adjacent to an exterior charging surface.
US09826292B2

A laser relay module in a free space optical communication network includes: a beacon source for generating an optical beacon signal for aligning a communication channel of a source optical node to a communication channel of a receiving optical node; a beacon inserter for encoding the optical beacon signal with switching information; a telescope for transmitting the encoded optical beacon signal to the receiving optical node; a beacon detector for detecting received switching information from the modulated optical beacon signal, wherein the receiving optical node uses the encoded optical beacon signal to align communication channel of the receiving optical node with communication channel of the source optical node; and a processor for using the detected switching information to change configuration of an optical switch matrix to direct received data to a next optical node in the free space optical communication network.
US09826287B2

A method, system and apparatus for announcing caller information to users over a television link. The method comprises receiving, via a portion of a data network adapted for handling Voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signalling information associated with an incoming call destined for a destination party, the SIP signalling information comprising a portion conveying information regarding an origin of the incoming call and information regarding an identity of the destination party. The method further comprises attempting to establish a telephony link with a device associated with the destination party over a communication network in response to the receiving. The method further comprises releasing the portion of the SIP signalling information to a processing entity to cause delivery of an indication of the origin of the incoming call over a television link associated with the destination party, the indication based on the information regarding an origin of the incoming call.
US09826285B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for providing dynamically generated summaries of media content, such as electronic books, audiobooks, audio series, video content series, and so on. A position in media content is determined based at least in part on input from a user. A summary of a portion of the media content is dynamically generated, where the portion of the media content begins or ends relative to the position. A summary of the portion of the media content is presented to the user via an output device.
US09826284B2

A system provides programming and advertising to a video decoder such as a digital video recorder, computer system, software or hardware player, etc. When a user makes a request to skip a commercial by issuing a command such as 30 second skip forward, alternate media is provided. In some examples, an image advertisement is provided for a predetermined period of time either during the commercial break or when regular programming resumes. In other examples, a substitute commercial is shown. The substitute commercial may be shortened or compressed. The alternate media may be perceptually encoded in a video stream, hidden in a video stream, or provided in a separate stream. In some examples, survey based and neuro-response based data is used to evaluate and select alternate media for particular programming.
US09826280B2

A mobile terminal simultaneously receives an interactive service, such as a betting service, and a web-based news service operating in conjunction with the interactive service across a wireless connection. Both services are simultaneously displayed in different windows on the same display of the mobile terminal. The user's selections, navigation of pages and other input in the interactive service are monitored and used to select related news items for a scrolling news frame.
US09826275B2

Systems and methods for presenting content are disclosed. One method can comprise presenting an interface such as a content guide comprising a field relating to content. A selection of one or more of a plurality of filters can be received. A first indicator representing first information can be presented if a first one of the filters is selected, wherein the first information relates to the field. A second indicator representing second information can be presented if a second one of the filters selected, wherein the second information relates to the field.
US09826273B2

A communication system and a family of methods for remote access to personal television service are disclosed. According to this invention, a remote personal TV service center provides centralized program guide information. A user may access to the personal TV service center through a digital video recorder which is connected to the personal TV service center via telephone modem or a network server. A user may access to the personal TV service center through a remote computer terminal or a personal digital assistant which is connected to a computer network. The user selects program events and programs the digital video recorder by using a graphical user interface installed in the front panel of the digital video recorder in case of local programming, or using a similar GUI which is incorporated into the Web pages presented to remote users by a Web server in case of remote programming. The media stream stored in one digital video recorder may be transferred to another digital video recorder. For data security protection during data transfer, all communication are authenticated and encrypted.
US09826260B2

A video encoding device is provided. The video encoding device includes an encoding unit, a transmission unit, and a calculating unit. The encoding unit generates an encoded video with an encoding frame rate. The transmission unit provides a video stream to a client terminal via network according to the encoded video. The calculating unit calculates an encoding rate in a first detection period according to the encoded video, and calculates a transmission rate in a second detection period according to the video stream. The encoding unit adjusts the encoding frame rate according to the encoding rate and the transmission rate.
US09826254B2

Provided are entropy encoding and entropy decoding for video encoding and decoding. The video entropy decoding method includes: determining a bin string and a bin index for a maximum coding unit that is obtained from a bitstream; determining a value of a syntax element by comparing the determined bin string with bin strings that is assignable to the syntax element in the bin index; storing context variables for the maximum coding unit when the syntax element is a last syntax element in the maximum coding unit, a dependent slice segment is includable in a picture in which the maximum coding unit is included, and the maximum coding unit is a last maximum coding unit in a slice segment; and restoring symbols of the maximum coding unit by using the determined value of the syntax element.
US09826250B1

A method for encoding a frame having a plurality of blocks in a video stream using transform-domain intra prediction is disclosed. The method includes generating, using a two-dimensional transform, a set of transform coefficients for a current block; generating, using a one-dimensional transform, a set of transform coefficients for previously coded pixel values in the frame; determining, using the set of transform coefficients for the previously coded pixel values, a set of transform coefficients for a prediction block; determining a residual based on the difference between the set of transform coefficients for the current block and the set of coefficients for the prediction block; and encoding the residual.
US09826247B2

According to an embodiment, an encoding device includes an index setting unit, an index reconfiguring unit, and an entropy encoding unit. The index setting unit sets an index and a weighting factor. The index represents information of a reference image. The index reconfiguring unit predicts a reference value of the weighting factor. The reference value indicates a factor to be set if a difference of pixel value between a reference image and a target image to be encoded is less than or equal to a specific value. The entropy encoding unit encodes a difference value between the weighting factor and the reference value.
US09826246B2

An image coding method for coding an image on a block-by-block basis, includes: selecting, for each of a plurality of sub-blocks included in a coding-target block and each including a plurality of coefficients, a context for performing arithmetic coding on a parameter indicating a coding-target coefficient included in the sub-block from a context set corresponding to the sub-block, based on at least one reference coefficient located around the coding-target coefficient, the coding-target block being a transform unit; and performing arithmetic coding on the parameter indicating the coding-target coefficient using probability information about the selected context, wherein, in the selecting, the context is selected from the context set, the context set corresponding to a sum of (i) a value indicating a position in a horizontal direction of the sub-block in the coding-target block and (ii) a value indicating a position in a vertical direction of the sub-block in the coding-target block.
US09826244B2

An apparatus configured to code video information includes a memory unit and a processor in communication with the memory unit. The memory unit is configured to store a candidate list generated for coding the video information. The candidate list comprises at least one base layer motion vector candidate. The processor is configured to determine a behavior for generating said at least one base layer motion vector candidate, generate said at least one base layer motion vector candidate for a current prediction unit (PU) in a particular coding unit (CU) according to the determined behavior, wherein the particular CU has one or more PUs, and add said at least one base layer motion vector candidate to the candidate list. The processor may encode or decode the video information.
US09826241B2

An image coding apparatus includes a block dividing unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of blocks, a prediction unit configured to perform prediction based on coded pixels to generate prediction errors, a transformation unit configured to perform orthogonal transform to the prediction errors to generate transform coefficients, a quantization matrix generation unit configured to generate quantization matrices that are used to quantize the transform coefficients, a quantization matrix coding unit configured to calculate difference values by scanning the quantization matrices and to code the difference values, a quantization unit configured to generate quantization coefficients by quantizing the generated transform coefficients using the quantization matrices, and a coefficient coding unit configured to code the quantization coefficients, wherein the quantization matrix coding unit is configured to scan coefficients of the quantization matrices in a unidirectional manner to calculate the difference value.
US09826240B2

An apparatus for sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering in video encoding. A unified processing engine collects statistics on a block of pixels, determines a minimum RD cost (J) for each category of band offsets and edge offsets; determines a RD cost to find the optimal SAO type and determines a cost for each of the left SAO parameters and the up SAO parameters. The unified processing engine operates for three iterations: once for luminance once for each chrominance. A SAO merge decision unit determines an optimal mode and generates current LCU Parameters. The RD offset unit determination includes determining whether the sign of the minimum offset is proper for the category of edge offset. The RD offset is determined using a programmable look-up table indexed by the offset to estimate a rate. The unified processing engine operates on a three stage pipeline: loading blocks; processing; and updating blocks.
US09826238B2

This disclosure describes techniques for coding transform coefficients for a block of video data. According to these techniques, a video encoder divides a leaf-level unit of video data into a plurality of transform coefficient sub-sets. The video encoder generates, for a sub-set of the plurality of transform coefficient sub-sets, a syntax element that indicates whether or not the sub-set includes any non-zero coefficients. In some examples, the video encoder may selectively determine whether to generate the syntax element for each sub-set. A decoder may read an entropy encoded bit stream that includes the syntax element, and determine whether to decode the sub-set based on the syntax element.
US09826224B2

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for normalizing the size of content in a multi-projection theater and a computer-readable recording medium. The method may include receiving theater parameters stored in a database, computing the scale factor of an image project on a main screen based on the received theater parameters, controlling the image projected on the main screen by incorporating the computed scale factor into the image, and controlling an image projected on a sub-screen so that the height or width of at least any one of images of sub-screens having a different pixel size or ratio from the controlled image of the main screen is identical with a height or width of the controlled image of the main screen.
US09826222B2

The stereoscopic image display device which displays images corresponding to each of a plurality of viewpoints includes: a stereoscopic image display panel which includes a display panel in which a plurality of pixels are arranged and a light-ray separating module provided on the display panel for separating parallax images from each of the pixels towards a plurality of N-viewpoints (N is a natural number of 2 or larger) according to the layout direction of each of the pixels; an observer position measuring unit which measures an observing position of the observer who is facing the display surface; a relative position calculating unit which calculates a relative position of the observer with respect to the stereoscopic image display panel based on the measurement result; and an image generation processing unit which generates viewpoint image by corresponding to the relative position and outputs the image towards the stereoscopic image display panel.
US09826221B2

Disclosed are a system and method for measuring viewing zone characteristics of an autostereoscopic three-dimensional (3D) image display device. The system for measuring viewing zone characteristics of the autostereoscopic 3D image display device includes at least one image sensor that is provided on a front side of the image display device, and measures characteristics of luminance distribution of viewpoint images in a depth direction (Z-direction) formed from at least two local areas which are designated in advance in a horizontal direction (X-direction) of the image display device, and a determination unit that determines, as an optimum viewing distance (OVD), a position of the image sensor corresponding to a depth direction (Z-direction) having a horizontal direction (X-direction) minimum deviation of a center position of luminance distribution of light generated from the same viewpoint image of each of the at least two local areas by analyzing the characteristics of luminance distribution on an X-Z plane measured from the image sensor.
US09826219B2

An imaging apparatus which captures an image used for obtaining depth data indicating a depth of a captured scene and restored image data with a reduced optical blur, includes: an optical device which causes an optical blur having a rotationally asymmetric shape; an actuator which rotates a part or a whole of the optical device; and an imaging unit configured to capture the image each time the optical device is rotated, to generate a plurality of captured image data items.
US09826214B2

A photosensor having a plurality of light sensitive pixels each of which comprises a light sensitive region and a plurality of storage regions for accumulating photocharge generated in the light sensitive region, a transfer gate for each storage region that is selectively electrifiable to transfer photocharge from the light sensitive region to the storage region, and an array of microlenses that for each storage region directs a different portion of light incident on the pixel to a region of the light sensitive region closer to the storage region than to other storage regions.
US09826210B2

Examples of the disclosure accurately define a gray region for automatic white balancing. Ratios corresponding to possible gray areas are white balanced before color distance metrics are calculated with respect to white points under different light sources. The color distance metrics of each point in the image data are compared with a predetermined threshold value to identify a gray region. Gray points within a captured image are identified using the gray region and input to any AWB method to accurately white balance the captured image.
US09826206B2

A display control device includes: an input unit that receives environmental information on a vehicle; and a controller that outputs to an image generator a first control signal for generating a first specific image representing a presentation image to be displayed on a display medium. When decreasing the luminance of the presentation image based on the environmental information, the controller outputs to the image generator a second control signal for generating a second specific image representing the presentation image with a hue changed to decrease a blue component in a display color.
US09826205B2

This display includes a control portion controlling a laser beam generation portion to output a first laser beam including a region of relaxation oscillation to a partial first image forming element included in a plurality of image forming elements and to output a second laser beam including no region of relaxation oscillation to a second image forming element, other than the first image forming element, included in the plurality of image forming elements.
US09826193B2

Provided are an apparatus and method of converting a digital image signal, which is obtained through an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a matrix, into an analog image signal in order to transmit the analog image signal to a monitor device that outputs an image complying with a national television system committee (NTSC) standard or a phase-alternating line (PAL) standard. The method includes: generating a sample frequency based on the number of horizontal pixels of the digital image signal to comply with a horizontal scan period of the NTSC standard or the PAL standard; and converting image data of the horizontal pixels of the digital image signal into the analog image signal, according to the sample frequency.
US09826191B2

Embodiments related to the use of feedback to adapt digital video recording are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, on a computing device, a method of adapting an identification and scheduling of video items for recording based on usage. The method comprises detecting a trigger to perform a series update, and determining one or more video items to record as a part of a series by providing input to a series update module that returns candidate video items for inclusion in the series. The method further comprises scheduling zero or more of the candidate video items for recording, receiving feedback related to video item playback of one or more video items that were recorded based upon the scheduling, and based upon the feedback, adapting the input provided to the series update module for a later series update.
US09826188B2

Systems and methods for customizing video include providing a portion of video to an electronic display and identifying a character or personality in the portion of video. A request to perform an action regarding the portion of video may be detected and the action may be associated with the identified character or personality. The action may be performed on a second portion of video in response to the character or personality being identified in the second portion of video.
US09826185B2

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array section that pixels which detect a physical quantities are arranged in two dimensions of matrix; an AD converting section that performs AD (Analog-Digital) conversion for a plurality of channels of analog pixel signals which are read-out from the pixel array section; and a control section that sets quantized units AD-converted by the AD conversion section according to a gain setting of the unit pixel signal, wherein the control section determines the grayscale number of digital outputs AD-converted for at least one channel of the unit pixel signals according to the gain setting of the pixel signal.
US09826180B2

An image processing circuit comprises a first sample-and-hold circuit that samples a first data from a pixel; a second sample-and-hold circuit that samples a second data from the pixel; a voltage-to-current circuit that includes a resistor and a current source, and receives the first data and the second data to output a difference data; and a black sun spot determination circuit. The black sun spot determination circuit compares a first VSL level at a first time with a second VSL level at a second time, both from the second sample-and-hold circuit, and determines the presence of a black sun spot based on a difference between the first and second level.
US09826179B2

An image reading apparatus includes an image reading chip configured to read an image. The image reading chip includes a first pixel unit which generates a first pixel signal, a second pixel unit which generates a second pixel signal, a first amplification unit which amplifies the first pixel signal, and outputs a first amplification signal, a second amplification unit which amplifies the second pixel signal, and outputs a second amplification signal, and a third amplification unit that amplifies each of the first amplification signal and the second amplification signal, and outputs an amplified signal. The image reading chip has a shape which includes a first side and a second side shorter than the first side. The third amplification unit is disposed between the first amplification unit and the second amplification unit in a direction along the first side.
US09826169B2

An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup device configured to pick up an optical image formed by an objective optical system and generate an image; a cut-out range setting portion configured to set a cut-out area so that a center comes close to a field-of-view center as a zoom magnification set by an electronic zoom setting portion increases; and a zoom processing portion configured to cut out the set cut-out area from the image, perform enlargement or reduction corresponding to the zoom magnification and generate a zoomed image.
US09826167B2

An imaging apparatus performing live-view display by generating image data using an exposure parameter calculated from a brightness value in a photometric area for the live-view display which is different from a photometric area for focus adjustment when not performing the focus adjustment, the imaging apparatus comprising: a first calculating section for calculating a first brightness value in the photometric area for the live-view display; a second calculating section for calculating a second brightness value in the photometric area for focus adjustment; a comparison section for determining whether or not a brightness difference between the first brightness value and the second brightness value is within a predetermined range; and, an imaging section for obtaining image data by performing exposure using the first brightness value when the brightness difference between the first brightness value and the second brightness value is within the predetermined range.
US09826161B2

A system and camera wherein the camera comprises in the light path a diffuser (4). The system or camera comprises a means (6) to modulate the diffusing properties of the diffuser (4) on an image projected by the lens on the sensor during exposure of the image. To the captured blurred image (10) an inverse point spread function is applied to deconvolute (24) the blurred image to a sharper image. Motion invariant image can so be achieved.
US09826160B2

A camera is configured with multiple microphones to reduce wind noise in audio data collected by the camera. The camera receives motion data, which may comprise data indicating acceleration of the camera, a plurality of video frames received by the camera, or a background level of noise associated with one or more microphones configured on the camera. The camera determines a motion vector from the motion data. The motion vector is parallel to the direction of motion of the camera. The camera selects a subset of one or more microphones in the direction of the motion vector. By recording audio data using the one or more selected microphones, the camera reduces wind noise in the audio data.
US09826158B2

A translation display device of the present invention carries out a translation process of translating text extracted from a certain image and displays translated text while a display frame rate is maintained. A translation processing section (5) carries out the translation process in a case where no image other than the certain image is being subjected to the translation process. An image movement analyzing section (7) identifies a displacement of a position of an object in a most recent image which has been most recently obtained, the displacement being measured with respect to a reference position of an object in a reference image for which the translation process most recently ended. A generated image in which translated text obtained by translating extracted text extracted from the reference image is displayed so as to be superimposed on the most recent image in accordance with (i) a position of the extracted text and (ii) information on the displacement.
US09826155B2

A method is proposed for detecting a document in which image data are recorded by means of a camera, in which filtered picture data are determined by a first processing unit on the basis of the recorded image data, and a camera picture is stored by a second processing unit on the basis of the filtered picture data if a stability criterion is fulfilled. Also specified correspondingly are a device, computer program product and storage medium.
US09826146B2

A generator generates attribute information regarding a video image, which is captured by an imaging unit by capturing a plurality of capture directions, on a predetermined unit of video content. A composition map generator extracts a predetermined object, based on the attribute information of the video images captured in the plurality of capture directions within a predetermined period, and generates a composition map indicating a position of the extracted object. A comparator determines priority orders in the respective pieces of shooting of the respective capture directions based on a comparison result obtained by comparing pieces of the attribute information, for each of the capture directions and based on the attribute information included in the composition map. A camera work controller determines a next capture direction based on the priority orders, and controls operations of the imaging unit and a camera pantilter based on the determined capture direction.
US09826140B2

In an image capturing apparatus, an image sensing unit has a plurality of pixels and photoelectrically converts an object image formed by an optical imaging system including a focus lens and outputs an electrical image signal, a control unit controls at least a readout rate or an exposure condition independently for different regions of the image sensing unit, and a calculation unit calculates a plurality of focus evaluation values based on image signals read out from the pixels present in a focus detection area in one of the plurality of different regions at different focus lens positions, and find an in-focus position of the focus lens based on the focus evaluation values. The control unit takes an image signal read out from a first region among the plurality of different regions as an image signal for display.
US09826139B2

An image processing apparatus for processing image pickup signals of subpixels of an image pickup element including a plurality of unit pixels each of which has a plurality of subpixels for receiving light passing through different partial pupil areas of a focusing optical system and generating image data of a photographed image, obtains in-focus information of the photographed image, sets a first area and a second area different from the first area onto the photographed image on the basis of the obtained in-focus information, and adds a part of the image pickup signals of the subpixels obtained from the image pickup element so that the number of image pickup signals of the subpixels per unit pixel in the image data of the photographed image corresponding to the first area is larger than that of the image data of the photographed image corresponding to the second area.
US09826133B2

A wearable apparatus and method are provided for capturing image data. In one implementation, a wearable apparatus for capturing image data is provided. The wearable apparatus includes at least one image sensor for capturing image data of an environment of a user, wherein a field of view of the image sensor includes a chin of the user. The wearable apparatus includes two or more microphones, and an attachment mechanism configured to enable the image sensor and microphones to be worn by the user. The wearable apparatus includes a processing device programmed to capture at least one image, identify the chin of the user to obtain a location of the chin, select a microphone from the two or more microphones based on the location, process input from the selected microphone using a first processing scheme, and process input from a microphone that is not selected using a second processing scheme.
US09826130B2

An infrared camera, comprising photosensitive element (101) capable of sensing infrared spectrum, gas discharge flash acting as flash light source (102), a first optical filter (103) filtering visible lights and allowing infrared light to transmit, and processing module (105) used to execute instructions, wherein the first optical filter is fixedly or removablely disposed in the emitted light path of the flash light source. Due to gas discharge flash filtering visible lights and acting as infrared light source, the camera could provide infrared lighting capability far better than infrared LED, improving the nighttime infrared photographing quality.
US09826120B2

An image process device includes an image acquisition part that acquires color image data as a first image data, a color space conversion part that converts the first image data to second image data of a color space, an information acquisition part that extracts a color feature quantity from the color component value for all pixels of the second image data and acquires information of the color feature quantity and the brightness component value about two adjacent pixels different in the color feature quantity among all pixels of the second image data, a derivation part that derives a brightness component value conversion parameter that differs for the color feature quantity based on the information of the acquired color feature quantity and the brightness component value, a conversion part that converts the brightness component value based on the color feature quantity of each pixel of the second image data using the brightness component value conversion parameter for the derived color feature quantity, and an image generation part that generates monochrome image data from the first image data based on the converted brightness component value.
US09826119B2

Provided is an optical apparatus including a line sensor that includes plural detection portions arranged in a lateral direction, the detection portions including plural light-receiving elements arranged in a line shape in a longitudinal direction, a direction corresponding to the and lateral direction being set as a first direction and a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction being set as a second direction in a surface perpendicular to an optical axis of light which forms an image on the line sensor, and a reduction optical system that reflects light from an original document and guides the reflected light to the detection portion, and includes plural curved-surface mirrors that have curvatures in the first direction and the second direction as a whole.
US09826118B2

An image formation apparatus includes: an image capturing device that reads an original document and generates image data of the original document; a color determiner that determines a color of a pixel of the image data; a blank line determiner that detects a blank line of the image data based on the color of the pixel determined by the color determiner; a parallel direction determiner that detects an extension direction of each of the character strings on the original document, based on the blank line; a character string area determiner that detects a start position and an end position of each of the character strings; and a orthogonal direction determiner that detects an orientation of the original document based on the start position and the end position.
US09826116B2

A method of performing an image forming operation in an image forming apparatus supporting peer to peer (P2P) connection includes P2P connecting the image forming apparatus to an external wireless device while the image forming apparatus is wirelessly connected to an access point (AP) of an infrastructured network, receiving a discovery packet from the wireless device via a P2P interface, transmitting to the wireless device a response packet including an Internet protocol (IP) address of the P2P interface, receiving from the wireless device an image forming operation performing request having the IP address of the P2P interface as a destination, and performing the requested image forming operation.
US09826114B2

An energy saving setting unit controls an image forming apparatus that makes a transition to a power saving state if a transition time passes without any prescribed operation in a normal state, and it includes: a unit for storing specific day information distinguishing a normal operation day and a specific day; an auto pattern updating unit determining the transition time in a normal operation day based on past operational status of the normal operation day of the image forming apparatus; a specific day pattern registering unit receiving and storing setting of the transition time of the specific day; and a switching unit, switching the state of conduction of the image forming apparatus using the transition time determined by the auto pattern updating unit and the stored transition time, on the normal operation day and on the specific day, respectively, based on the specific day information.
US09826104B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided that prevent a user equipment (UE) from entering into a permanent out of service (OOS) state. The UE receives a registration reject message associated with a permanent cause when the UE triggers a registration request for registering with a first network entity. It is determined whether the UE was previously registered with a second network entity upon receiving the registration reject message associated with the permanent cause. The UE stores a network entity identifier of the first network entity in a temporary forbidden list when the UE was previously registered with the second network entity, to prevent the UE from entering into the permanent OOS state.
US09826102B2

A plurality of users are associated with a system having at least one information processor coupled to a communication network. Multiple wireless access points to the communication network are provided; and multiple of the users associated with the system are provided VoIP access to the communication network via the access points.
US09826095B2

A multichannel routing system for multichannel routing administration is disclosed. The multichannel routing system includes a data mining module configured to gather a plurality of profiles of agents and a plurality of parameters associated with one or more incoming work items. The multichannel routing system further includes a monitor module configured to monitor current status of the agents and priority of the incoming work items. The multichannel routing system further includes an analysis module configured to generate a multiplicity configuration of the agents based on the monitored current status of the agents and the priority of the incoming work items. The multichannel routing system further includes an assignment module configured to assign a plurality of media channels to the agents based on the generated multiplicity configuration, wherein the assignment of the media channels enables the multichannel routing administration.
US09826089B2

A connection manager manages connections for associated user devices by determining whether an incoming connection has been answered at a user device, and if so then generating and transmitting silencing commands to associated user devices using first and second wireless communication modes, with one mode being faster. Connections can comprise phone calls, and modes can comprise push and Bluetooth® messaging. The connection manager can instruct device outputs to provide connection alerts, limited to visual alerts when an associated user device is active, listen for associated user device communications, and instruct device outputs to stop providing alerts when a silencing command is received. Further, a connection manager can receive a signal regarding a headset status, route an outside connection from a phone to the headset when the headset is active or to another device when the headset is not active, detect a change in headset status, and reroute the connection accordingly.
US09826088B2

Described are method and devices for marking an unrecognized number. A method may include receiving an information acquisition request sent from a terminal when a first phone number of a correspondent node communicating with the terminal is detected to be an unrecognized number. The method may further include identifying a first social account corresponding to the first phone number by querying a preset corresponding relationship between at least one phone number and at least one social account. The method may further include detecting whether the first social account is a friend account of a second social account corresponding to a second phone number of the terminal. The method may further include, when the first social account is detected to be a friend account of the second social account, obtaining account information, and sending the account information to the terminal to mark the unrecognized number.
US09826085B2

Communications equipment for use by a call center to enable communications between the call center and one or more user devices is provided, with the communications equipment comprising audio processing circuitry for processing audio signals received from the user devices over a communications network, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform acoustic echo cancellation and/or noise suppression and/or dereverberation processing on the received audio signals to cancel acoustic echoes and/or suppress noise and/or suppress reverberation that is present in the audio signals received from the user device.
US09826075B2

In one aspect, an apparatus is adapted to support a mobile electronic device such as, for example, a tablet computer. In another aspect, the apparatus includes a case and a stand adapted to be detachably coupled to the case, the apparatus having a first configuration in which the stand is detachably coupled to the case, and a second configuration in which the stand is detached from the case. In another aspect, the stand is adapted to support the mobile electronic device in an easel-like fashion when the apparatus is in either the first configuration or the second configuration. In another aspect, a kit includes first and second stands adapted to respectively support first and second mobile electronic devices having different sizes; and a case to which each of the first and second stands is adapted to be detachably coupled. In another aspect, the kit is a retail display kit.
US09826071B2

A method for generating configuration data for configuring a hardware switch is described. The method receives a description of functionality for the hardware switch. Based on the description, the method generates sets of match and action entries to configure the hardware switch to process packets. The method then determines, for each packet header field in a parse graph that specifies instructions for a parser of the switch to extract packet header fields from packets, whether the packet header field is used or modified by at least one match or action entry. The method generates for the parser of the hardware switch configuration data that instructs the parser to extract (i) packet header fields used or modified by at least one match or action entry to a first set of registers and (ii) packet header fields not used by any match or action entries to a second set of registers.
US09826068B2

A node may generate a data packet comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) header and a destination options extension header (DOEH). The DOEH may comprise one or more data fields and an IP payload. The node may send the data packet to another node in a data network.
US09826062B2

Downloadable pluggable services and methods of distributing the same are described. The downloadable pluggable services may correspond to communication services that can be downloaded to upgrade a communication system. The downloadable pluggable services may include a number of component parts that can be distributed among various servers in the communication system being upgraded along with instructions that enable the component parts to instruct each server in the communication system to operate in a coordinated fashion so as to provide the downloaded service.
US09826056B2

A social networking system displays stories describing actions to a user in a news ticker. The stories may be selected so that a variety of types of stories, stories associated with a variety of users, or stories associated with a variety of actions are presented via the news ticker. Additionally, stories having a common characteristic, such as being associated with a common user, may be aggregated and a description of the aggregated stories is presented in the news ticker. For example, stories aggregated based on acting user may identify the user common to the stories and a description of the aggregated stories may be displayed. Further, the value to the social networking system of displaying different types of content may be used to modify how different types of content are displayed in the news ticker.
US09826045B2

Systems and methods are provided to test changes for a mobile app built by web-based tooling directly on a physical mobile device. A first application can be loaded on a mobile device. The first application can receive metadata of a second application. The first application can execute the second application using the metadata. Access to local resources can be intercepted and redirected to the server for processing. Additionally, changes made to the second application using the web-based tooling can be pushed to the first application using a persistent channel allowing the changes to be immediately tested.
US09826040B2

A system and method for reducing transmission collisions. In one embodiment, a transmitter for communicating of a smart grid power line network includes an arbiter. The arbiter is configured to select a transmission interval during which the transmitter can transmit. The interval is selected from a plurality of available transmission intervals reserved for contending transmissions, and selected based on a level of a hierarchical network at which the transmitter is located. The interval selected is different from any interval used by a different transmitter spaced two hierarchical levels away from the level of the hierarchical network at which the transmitter is located.
US09826033B2

Redirecting message flows to bypass load balancers. A destination intermediary receives a source-side message that includes a virtual address of a load balancer as a destination, and that is augmented to include a network address of a destination machine as a destination. The destination intermediary determines that a source intermediary should address subsequent network messages that originate from a source machine and that are associated with the same multi-message flow to the destination machine while bypassing the load balancer. The destination intermediary modifies the source-side message so the destination for the source-side message addresses the destination machine, and passes the modified source-side message to the destination machine. The destination intermediary receives a response from the destination machine identifying the source machine as its destination, and modifies the response so a source address identifies the virtual address of the load balancer, and dispatches the modified response to the source machine.
US09826029B2

The present invention is directed to a method and information handling system (IHS) for estimating bandwidth and providing one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters between a first set of one or more storage devices and at least one other set of one or more storage devices. The method comprises the following, for a given set of the at least one other set of one or more storage devices. The method creates a given temporary volume associated with the given set. The method sends a given sequential workload of actual traffic between the first set and the given set. The method estimates, based upon the results of sending the given sequential workload of actual traffic, the one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters for the given set.
US09826024B2

A technique for capturing the output of a software application, controlled by an end-user of a client computer, on a server computer. The data may be captured from a hosted application running on the server computer, an application simulating the operations of an application used by the end-user on the client computer, or from a capture stream sent by an application on the client computer. A capture engine stores the capture data on the server computer without consuming processing or memory resources of the client computer. Furthermore, the capture data is immediately available on the server computer for sharing and publication, without consuming network bandwidth or a long upload delay.
US09826008B1

Systems and methods embedding a guest module within an embedder module are disclosed. According to some aspects, a user interface item associated with a guest module is presented, via an embedder module executing at a computer, within a user interface of the embedder module, wherein the guest module is identified via a tag in the embedder module. An indication of a user interaction with the user interface item is received. A service responsive to the indication of the user interaction with the user interface item is provided via an executing instance of the guest module and using information associated with the tag. The executing instance of the guest module is external to the embedder module and distinct from the embedder module.
US09826003B1

Systems and techniques for permitting, establishing, monitoring and controlling VOIP calls based on messages from outside parties, outside party availability information, institution's call restriction information, and/or account holder preferences. In one example, a message from an outside party app on an outside party computing device is receive by an inmate app on an inmate device. The inmate device displays the message at the inmate calling app including a request for the inmate to call the outside party device during a time period. When the inmate initiates a call to the outside party the call is permitted or not permitted based on determining whether the call is within the specified time period.
US09825987B2

Disclosed is a system for recommending content of a predefined category to an account holder, or account holders based on the account holder application graphs. The system receives information corresponding to applications executing on the client device of the account holders and generates an application graph for each account holder that includes a list of predefined application categories that are preferred by the account holder. For each predefined category, a list of account holders preferring content relevant to that category is predicted based on the set of generated application graphs.
US09825977B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for controlling access to data of a user device using a security application that provides accessibility services. An exemplary method comprises: executing, on the user device, the security application and one or more user applications; intercepting, by an interception module of the security application using a plurality of accessibility API functions, data accessed by a user application being executed on the user device; determining, by a categorization module of the security application, a category of intercepted data; intercepting, by the interception module using the accessibility API functions, one or more events of user's interaction with a user interface of the user application; and determining, by an access control module of the security application, an access control policy that specifies and controls whether to allow a user's access to the intercepted data based on the category of intercepted data and types of intercepted events.
US09825970B2

A device may receive a network address and a signature. The network address may be associated with a sponsored data campaign, and the signature may be generated based on a security key and based on the network address. The device may perform a validation operation on the signature to validate that the network address is associated with the sponsored data campaign. The validation operation may be performed based on the security key. The security key may be obtained based on a key identifier. The device may selectively permit or deny access to content associated with the network address based on a result of the validation operation.
US09825967B2

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for behavioral fingerprinting via social networking interaction. For certain example embodiments, at least one indication of family relation for at least one authorized user may be obtained via at least one social networking interaction, and the at least one indication of family relation may be incorporated into at least one behavioral fingerprint that is associated with the at least one authorized user, the at least one behavioral fingerprint including one or more indicators of utilization of one or more user devices by the at least one authorized user.
US09825963B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for reviewing inputted commands and preventing the execution of accidentally or maliciously entered adverse commands are disclosed. These commands may be operating system commands, resource commands, device commands, application commands, and so on. Some aspects of the disclosure provide ways to approve commands prior to their execution, or validate commands subsequent to their execution. In some aspects, execution of the command may be undone or reversed if the command is not successfully validated. Commands may be encapsulated in a control wrapper to identify commands subject to pre-execution approval process and/or the post-execution validation, and criteria regarding the commands or the user entering the commands may be used to determine whether pre-execution approval and/or post-execution validation is required. Indications of approval or denial of a command may be transmitted to other computing devices to reduce or eliminate malicious or accidental activity.
US09825960B2

Systems, methods, and other embodiments are disclosed that are configured to generate a hierarchy of access rules in a protocol stack. Access rules corresponding to a first layer in a protocol stack are analyzed. The access rules determine, at the first layer, whether network sources are permitted access to a computing device. Dependent access rules are generated based at least in part on a combination of the access rules from the first layer. The dependent access rules are pushed down to a second layer in the protocol stack by implementing the dependent access rules at the second layer to determine, at the second layer, whether the network sources are permitted access to the computing device.
US09825954B2

At least one embodiment relates to a method and a system for cloud application visibility of network traffic. The method includes: receiving, from a network gateway, hardware identity extracted from network session traffic for accessing cloud-based application services, wherein the hardware identities correspond to user devices that initiate the network session traffic; receiving, from an application processing engine, user credentials decoded from the network session traffic, wherein the user credentials authorize the network session traffic to access the cloud-based application services; and matching the hardware identities with the user credential to identify a user who uses multiple user devices or multiple user credentials to access the cloud-based application services.
US09825951B2

Provided are a method and system for distributing service data, wherein the method includes that a user terminal is authenticated and accesses a core network, a service data message sent by the user terminal is received, target address information contained in the service data message is acquired, and the service data message is distributed according to the acquired target address information.
US09825949B2

Authentication of cloud agents that collect and/or process industrial data facilitates secure communications with a cloud platform. An authentication component receives an authentication request from a cloud agent device residing at an industrial facility. The authentication component also authenticate the cloud agent device in response to the authentication request for a defined period of time based on an access key that uniquely identifies the cloud agent device residing at the industrial facility. A cloud data processing component receives, at a cloud platform, one or more data packets from the cloud agent device during the defined period of time and processes industrial data contained in the one or more data packets according processing instructions associated with the cloud platform.
US09825947B2

A digital authentication method, system, and related devices/media, the authentication method comprising displaying a web page comprising one or more website features on a first computing device, scanning the one or more website features with a second computing device, and sending information related to the one or more scanned website features from the second computing device to a processing system. The processing system uses the information to authenticate the web page on the first computing device and enable one or more web page components, with the information being related to the one or more scanned website feature.
US09825938B2

Provided is a system and method for managing certificate based secure network access based on a buffer period prior to the expiration of the Certificate. The system includes an authentication hardware system structured and arranged to receive from a User by way of a first device having at least one processor, a request for certificate based network access, the request including a Certificate having a lifespan incorporating a buffer period. A validation hardware system having at least one processor and being in communication with the authentication hardware system is structured and arranged to receive a request for validation of the Certificate, the validation hardware system evaluating the Certificate having a lifespan incorporating the buffer period to a current date to provide a positive or negative evaluation of the Certificate. In response to a positive evaluation of the buffer period to the current date, the Certificate is validated and the user is provided certificate based network access. In response to a negative evaluation of the buffer period to the current date, the Certificate is restricted and at least a portion of the Network access is restricted. Under such a restriction, the user may use the restricted Certificate to obtain a new unrestricted Certificate having a new buffer period. An associated method of use is also provided.
US09825934B1

A computer-implemented method for providing an operating system level interface for communicating credential data between applications includes detecting, by an operating system, a field configured to receive an authentication credential and identifying a credential management application configured to provide authentication credentials. The method includes requesting, by the operating system and using an operating system interface configured to communicate authentication credentials, the authentication credential from the credential management application. And when the credential management application provides the authentication credential using the operating system interface configured to communicate authentication credentials, the method includes providing the authentication credential for entry into the field.
US09825931B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for generating and using a block chain distributed network for tracking and validating a user identification morphing over time. The block chain database comprises a distributed ledger that is updated with real-time identification information including an initial identification of the user. Subsequent identifications are stored and changes or morphs in identification, such as signatures, physical attributes, or locations of the user are identified. User facts are correlated with the identifications to build a timeline for the user. Subsequently, the system generates authentication questions based off of the timeline generated. The authentication questions allow for authentication of a user into a third party system.
US09825924B2

A file sharing method and apparatus. The method includes uploading, by a first terminal, each encrypted file to a server for saving, and receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) that is returned by the server and corresponds to a location for saving each encrypted file, generating a key package that includes a shared key and a URL that correspond to a file to be shared, and providing the key package for a second terminal, so that the second terminal acquires a corresponding encrypted file by using the URL in the key package, and decrypts the acquired encrypted file by using the shared key in the key package.
US09825921B2

A secure connection between a user mobile device and a “Internet-of-Things” network-connected device (e.g., a home appliance or a vehicle) may be provided using an internet gateway residing in the public internet and a local gateway residing in a private network behind a firewall. The user device may receive an input through a software application and may generate an electronic instruction based on the input. The user device may then encrypt the electronic instruction and send the encrypted electronic instruction to the internet gateway over a secure connection (e.g., SSH, TLS). The internet gateway then sends the encrypted electronic instruction to the local gateway, which decrypts the encrypted electronic instruction, interprets it, and generates and transmits a device instruction to communicate with the network-connected device, either directly or through an intermediary device such as a third-party bridge or hub. Only the user device and local gateway have encryption/decryption keys.
US09825919B2

In some aspects, an encryption method comprises encrypting a first portion of a message using a first secret key. The first secret key is generated based on the public key of an entity. A one-way function is used to generate a second secret key from the first secret key, and the first secret key is subsequently discarded. A second portion of the message is encrypted using the second secret key. The encrypted first portion of the message and the encrypted second portion of the message are provided to the entity.
US09825917B2

Method and System for enhanced privacy in privacy-preserving identity solutions. The technology provides for a redirect of a request to generate a proof of an attribute from a service provider to a separator. The separator removes source identification from the attribute-proof request and redirects the attribute-proof request, free of original source identification, to a credential issuer which issues the credential. A security device of the user generates a presentation token from the privacy-preserving credential and presents the presentation token to the service provider as proof of the attribute. Other systems and methods are disclosed.
US09825914B2

The present disclosure presents a system, method and apparatus herein enabling secure coupling of a computing device, such as a mobile device with an endpoint, such as an application server. The computing device can include any electronic device such as a computer, a server, an application server, a mobile device or tablet. The endpoint can be any electronic device as well that is located within an enterprise network. In at least one embodiment, the secure coupling of the mobile device with a computing device can include a security gateway server. In one example, the security gateway server can be a tunnel service server. In another embodiment, an application server can include a tunnel service module to provide the secure coupling with the mobile device.
US09825913B2

A novel method for stateful packet classification that uses hardware resources for performing stateless lookups and software resources for performing stateful connection flow handshaking is provided. To classify an incoming packet from a network, some embodiments perform stateless look up operations for the incoming packet in hardware and forward the result of the stateless look up to the software. The software in turn uses the result of the stateless look up to perform the stateful connection flow handshaking and to determine the result of the stateful packet classification.
US09825911B1

Systems and methods are disclosed that make security policy decisions based on a packet of a communication establishment handshake. The packet is intercepted and provided to a policy manger. If a security check fails, the communication session is not permitted to be established. In one example, the system includes network device (e.g., a network address translator) and a policy manager. The network address translator can receive Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) communication session establishment handshake packets and redirect each packet that is part of the TCP handshake to the policy manager rather than to the computing node targeted by the packet. The policy manager prevents the redirected packet from being forwarded to a targeted computing node in the provider network to thereby disallow the communication session from being established based on a comparison of at least information in a header of the packet to a set of security policies.
US09825910B2

The captive portal environment exists where there is only a single available communication service that is available to the user. An example of a captive portal environment is on board an aircraft in flight, where the passengers have no access to any communication services, other than the aircraft resident wireless Local Area Network. The Restricted LAN Internet Access System functions in the aircraft to grant the user a temporary Internet session so they can download a prerequisite application from the Internet to make use of an application/service resident on the Restricted LAN in the aircraft.
US09825908B2

A method of increasing integrity associated with a computer network, which includes determining a model operational parameter associated with an application operating at a predetermined integrity level on the computer network, the model operational parameter is associated with operation of a layer above the agent layer as the application operates at the predetermined integrity level and interacts with the layer above the agent layer, generating an operational model associated with the application performing at the predetermined integrity level, detecting a current operational parameter associated with the application operating at a current integrity level on the computer network, determining an exception associated with the operational model based on a comparison between the model operational parameter and the current operational parameter, and generating an instruction from the agent layer to resolve the exception, thereby increasing integrity of the computer network. A corresponding system and computer-readable device are also disclosed.
US09825906B2

A system with a local network and a set of remote networks is described herein. A subnet address range associated with the local network is subdivided into sub-segment address ranges. Each remote network is assigned a sub-segment address range for communicating with the local network. Each sub-segment address range is a smaller part of the original subnet range and each sub-segment range does not overlap with other sub-segment address ranges. Using an intermediate-local function device of the local network and intermediate-remote function devices of the remote networks, client stations in both the local and remote networks may seamlessly communicate using their native private addresses as destination addresses and without indirect address mapping. Further, the intermediate-local and the intermediate-remote function devices allow client stations in the local and remote networks to communicate without installation of corresponding agents or knowledge of the location of the client stations in separate physical networks.
US09825898B2

In some embodiments, a computer implemented method of processing messages may include receiving priority information from at least one sponsor, the priority information to be used in determining a priority of one or more messages received from a plurality user devices, creating a message collection using a plurality of messages received from the plurality of user devices, applying the priority information to at least one of the messages in the message collection, prioritizing the at least one message in the message collection according to the applied priority information, and supplying the message collection with the at least one message in an order of presentation based on the applied priority information of the at least one message.
US09825895B2

Provided is a method for exchanging messages only between the users in a predetermined range around the current position, without intentionally grouping the users. A message server stores a message table where a message is associated with each set of addresses of a plurality of access points. A portable terminal searches for access points near the portable terminal and receives annunciation signal including the address of the access point from each access point. The portable terminal transmits, to a message server, a message acquisition request including, as a query, the set of the addresses included in the annunciation signals. The message server compares the set of the addresses as the query with a plurality of sets of addresses recorded in the message table, extracts messages corresponding to the sets of the addresses ranking high arranged in descending order of similarity, and transmits the messages to the portable terminal.
US09825888B2

A method, computer program product, and system for identifying experts is described. An indication of a subject matter area associated with a user is received. A list of experts regarding the subject matter area is determined based upon, at least in part, identifying one or more members included in one or more contact rosters associated with the user. A set of experts, included in the list of experts, that are available for instant messaging communication, is identified. A portion of the list of experts is provided to the user in the context of an instant messaging application associated with the user.
US09825885B2

Methods and systems for a more efficient transmission of network traffic are provided. According to one embodiment, presence of outbound payload data, distributed across a first and second payload buffer, within a user memory space of a network device that has been generated by a user process is determined by a bus/memory interface or a network interface unit. The payload data is fetched by performing direct virtual memory addressing of the user memory space including mapping virtual addresses of the payload buffers to corresponding physical addresses, including: (i) when the payload buffers are noncontiguous, then retrieving the outbound payload data with reference to multiple buffer descriptors having starting virtual addresses of the payload buffers and (ii) when they are contiguous, then retrieving the outbound payload data with reference to a single buffer descriptor. The outbound payload data is then segmented across one or more TCP packets.
US09825884B2

A software-defined network (SDN) system, device and method comprise one or more input ports, a programmable parser, a plurality of programmable lookup and decision engines (LDEs), programmable lookup memories, programmable counters, a programmable rewrite block and one or more output ports. The programmability of the parser, LDEs, lookup memories, counters and rewrite block enable a user to customize each microchip within the system to particular packet environments, data analysis needs, packet processing functions, and other functions as desired. Further, the same microchip is able to be reprogrammed for other purposes and/or optimizations dynamically.
US09825882B2

The invention introduces a method for an automatic scaling of data consumers, performed by a processing unit of a data-consumer server, which contains at least the following steps. State-update requests are received from data consumers, where each state-update request includes a busy state or an idle state and the busy state indicates that the data consumer reads data from a queue and processes the read data. A first quantity of data consumers, a second quantity of busy states and a third quantity of idle states are calculated. A fourth quantity of data consumers to be produced is estimated according to the first, second and third quantities. Data consumers of the fourth quantity are produced.
US09825876B2

An improved system and method are disclosed for providing virtual parallel access to a shared resource. In one example, the method includes receiving a request from a device to take control of the shared resource. After determining that another device is currently in control of the shared resource, a timer is started. Control of the shared resource will automatically pass from the device currently in control to the requesting device when the timer expires. Input received from the device currently in control is executed. Input received from the device that has requested control is buffered and executed once control is transferred.
US09825875B2

Various embodiments provide a method and apparatus for allocating resources to applications (e.g., application processes) using pre-provisioned resource configurations (e.g., VMs or containers) that are based on clustered historical resource usage data. In particular, the set of pre-provisioned resources required to support elasticity in a set of applications is reduced by determining a subset of pre-provisioned resource configurations that are able to be reused across multiple applications. A pre-provisioned resource configuration being based on a determined dominant center for the resource cluster associated with the pre-provisioned resource configuration.
US09825865B1

In one embodiment, an indication of a plurality of network nodes and load balancing criteria is received. A plurality of forwarding entries are created, wherein a forwarding entry of the plurality of forwarding entries is based upon the load balancing criteria and corresponds to a network node of the plurality of network nodes. A network element applies the plurality of forwarding entries to data packets to load balance the data packets among the plurality of network nodes. A plurality of counts are tracked, wherein each count corresponds to at least one forwarding entry of the plurality of forwarding entries and represents the number of times the corresponding at least one forwarding entry is used to redirect a data packet.
US09825864B2

Aspects of oversubscription monitoring are described. In one embodiment, oversubscription monitoring includes accumulating an amount of data that arrives at a network component over at least one epoch of time. Further, a core processing rate at which data can be processed by the network component is calculated. Based on the amount of data and the core processing rate, it is determined whether the network component is operating in an oversubscribed region of operation. In one embodiment, when the network component is operating in the oversubscribed region of operation, certain quality of service metrics are monitored. Using the monitored metrics, a network operation display object may be generated for identifying or troubleshooting network errors during an oversubscribed region of operation of the network component.
US09825863B2

A system and method for automating connection management in a manner that may be transparent to any actively communicating applications operating in a Network on Terminal Architecture (NoTA). An application level entity may access another node by making a request to a high level communication structure via an interface. The high level structure may interact with a lower level structure configured to manage communication by establishing communication with another device via one or more transports. In at least one embodiment, provisions may be made to guard against data being lost when a transport fails, including storing data that is passed from a transport-independent buffer to a transport-specific buffer in case the transport fails. When a failure occurs, the stored data may readily be forwarded for sending using another transport.
US09825861B2

A packet forwarding method, apparatus, and system in which a host receives a first packet sent by a gateway, and parses the first packet to obtain a source IP address and a source MAC address from the first packet; queries a host cache table, when a mapping relationship between the source IP address and the source MAC address does not exist in the host cache table, saves the mapping relationship between the source IP address and the source MAC address in the host cache table; the host generates a response packet according to the first packet, and queries the host cache table to acquire a first destination MAC address corresponding to a first destination IP address that is in the response packet; and forwards, according to the first destination MAC address, the response packet to an external network by using the gateway.
US09825858B2

In a forwarding network comprising a function chain network controller, a plurality of intermediate network functions (NFs) and flow-based chain selectors (FBCSs) forming VNFs and configured to transfer data packets via a plurality of links, a method comprising a FBCS requesting substitution in the header representation of function chain entries of a data packet header in a flow with a different representation of function chain entries, wherein the flow bypasses at least one intermediate FBCS based on the substituted function chain entries representation. The function chain network controller discovers FBCS capable nodes and their topology, and maintains a function chain substitution state and distributes it to the FBCS relevant substitutions. The function chain network controller distributes a list of adjacent FBCSs to the FBCS, and distributes a list of abstracted adjacent FBCSs to the FBCS and translates requests from an abstracted value to a real value.
US09825857B2

Various embodiments are disclosed for increasing Layer-3 LPM (longest prefix match) routing database in a network platform. In some embodiments, chipsets in fabric modules (FMs) can be partitioned into multiple banks. Network traffic can be directed towards a corresponding bank in the FMs by using a LPM table on a line card (LC). Entries in the LPM table on the LC can be programmed either statically or dynamically based upon LPM routes that are dynamically learned.
US09825852B2

A method is described for serial data transmission in a bus system having at least two participating data processing units, the data processing units exchanging messages via the bus, the sent messages having a logical structure in accordance with CAN standard ISO 11898-1. When a first changeover condition is present, then, deviating from CAN, the data field of the messages can include more than eight bytes, the values of the data length code being interpreted, given the presence of the first changeover condition to determine the size of the data field. For forwarding data between the data field and the application software, at least one buffer memory is provided, and, if the size of the data field differs from the size of the buffer memory used, the forwarded quantity of data is adapted at least corresponding to the difference in size between the data field and the buffer memory.
US09825830B2

Embodiments attribute network data transfers to applications executing on a computing device. A data transfer service executes on the computing device to receive and process data transfer requests. The data transfer requests, populated by the applications, have identifiers attributed thereto to enable monitoring of the network data transfers per identifier. For example, network data transfers associated with different mail accounts of a mail program or different web sites of browser are attributed separately. Data usage statistics relating to the network data transfers for each identifier may be generated and presented to the user for review.
US09825822B1

A technology to create and manage a group network in a virtual network is described. A network address may be registered as a member of a network group in an overlay network within a virtualized computing environment. An open connection may be maintained to the network address. Membership information may be sent over the open connection to the network address as membership of the network group changes. Membership information may be used in communicating with the network group using unicast transmissions.
US09825820B2

A method for a system that runs a platform simulation and a network simulation of a radio network comprises probing the network simulation to determine effects produced between transmitter-receiver pairs represented within the network simulation; computing communication effects in response to the probing and saving the communication effects for later use; and when a communication event involving a transmitter-receiver pair occurs in the platform simulation, using the saved communication effects to simulate the communication effects for that event.
US09825818B2

A system constructs a hierarchy for field devices communicatively coupled to a remote terminal unit (RTU) by retrieving device information from field devices, caching the device information in the memory of the RTU, storing device identities in the memory of a host machine, and obtaining the device information at the host from the RTU in response to subsequent user requests to build the hierarchy, without re-sending commands to retrieve the device information directly to the field devices.
US09825812B2

Systems and techniques for transparently intercepting and optimizing resource requests are described. Some embodiments can send a request to a server. In response to the request, the embodiments can receive a first script and at least a second script from the server, wherein the first script includes instructions for intercepting invocations to a set of functions, and wherein the second script includes at least one invocation to at least one function in the set of functions. The first script can then be executed, thereby causing subsequent invocations to each function in the set of functions to be intercepted by a corresponding resource optimization handler. Next, the second script can be executed. When the executing second script invokes a function in the set of functions, the invocation of the function can be intercepted, and a resource optimization handler corresponding to the function can be invoked instead of invoking the function.
US09825804B2

Devices and methods are provided for monitoring terminal devices. For example, one or more first terminal devices are scanned; one or more first identifications of the first terminal devices are recorded; a first list including the first identifications of the first terminal devices is generated; one or more second identifications of one or more second terminal devices are retrieved from a stored second list, the second terminal devices being scanned previously; the second identifications and the first identifications are compared; and in response to the second identifications being different from the first identifications, an alarm message is output.
US09825802B2

A dual-mode terminal designed to connect to an IP-based network via a first communication system and a second communication system, the dual-mode terminal including a first physical network interface module adapted to establish a packet-based communication with the IP-based network via the first communication system, the first physical network interface module being accessible via a first physical network interface having a first physical network address; a second physical network interface module adapted to establish a packet-based communication with the IP-based network via the second communication system, the second physical network interface module being accessible via a second physical network interface having a second physical network address; an IP-based protocol stack adapted to operate between a software application in the dual-mode terminal and the first and second physical network interface modules; and a system for performing a seamless handover between the first communication system and the second communication system during a connection to the IP-based network.
US09825801B1

A client device receives a request to stream a media item from a first position. Content corresponding to the media item includes samples identified in a container file for the media item. The client device obtains, independently of the container file, a seektable that is not included with the container file and that identifies a plurality of segments into which content corresponding to the media item is divided. Each segment of the plurality of segments includes multiple samples. The client device consults the seektable to determine a segment of the media item to retrieve in response to the request. The segment includes content at the first position. After consulting the seektable, the client device retrieves the segment of the media item and plays the content corresponding to the first position using the retrieved segment.
US09825792B2

A radio transmission method which includes a steps of simulation of a phase modulation of a radio carrier by the successive transmission of a carrier of a main frequency f and of a carrier of an offset frequency f+Δf, the offset frequency having a frequency difference suitable for simulating a given phase shift of the main frequency at the end of a given time T. The invention further relates to a radio transmission device for implementing the method which includes a radio integrated circuit for generating programmable frequency modulation, means for programming, in this radio integrated circuit, the main frequency f and the offset frequency f+Δf and means for driving this radio integrated circuit in order to generate the frequencies as a function of the signal to be transmitted.
US09825787B1

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a two-dimensional (2D) equalizer comprising a plurality of coefficients. A plurality of stored coefficients are accessed based on a first off-track offset of the head in order to first initialize the coefficients of the 2D equalizer, and then the coefficients of the 2D equalizer are first adapted based at least on a first read signal to generate first adapted coefficients. The plurality of stored coefficients are accessed based on a second off-track offset of the head in order to second initialize the coefficients of the 2D equalizer, and then the coefficients of the 2D equalizer are second adapted based at least on the first read signal to generate second adapted coefficients.
US09825785B2

A system for digitally equalizing a data channel with heavily ISI-induced signals received after passing a data communication channel using a combination of a linear equalizer and a nonlinear equalizer, which comprises an ADC, for sampling a received signal and converting it to a digital form; a Linear Equalizer for pre-processing said received signal, said Linear Equalizer is adapted to pre-process a first group consisting of echoes/channel taps of the induced ISI, which are not equalized by said nonlinear equalizer, by eliminating the echoes/channel taps of said first group; pre-process a second group consisting of the combination of the entire echoes/channel taps of the induced ISI, by eliminating the echoes/channel taps of said second group; and a nonlinear equalizer for receiving the signals preprocessed by said Linear Equalizer and for further processing said preprocessed signals and eliminating the echoes/channel taps of the induced ISI to be equalized by said nonlinear equalizer, thereby compensating for the entire ISI induced by said channel.
US09825763B2

Systems for the automated capture of forensic data information are presented. An example system may receive an access/modification request directed to a data item(s), generate an initial data capture record for the data item(s), and send the record to an isolated, secure data preservation module before granting the request. After the access/modification, the system may generate a post-access data capture record and send it to the preservation module. The system may determine the content of the generated records, based on, e.g., content of the data item(s), before generation. For example, the system may determine a first content type for records where data item(s) include critical data, and a second content type for records that do not, to, e.g., efficiently allocate system resources while minimizing any disruption to an accessing user. The system may also utilize different encryption and decryption key techniques based on, e.g., the content of the data item(s).
US09825761B2

In one aspect, systems and methods to improve a cryptosystem include computer-implemented operations such as scanning a biometric attribute for comparison with stored biometric data, and generating a keystream based upon the stored biometric data if the scanned biometric attribute substantially matches the stored biometric data. The computer-implemented method may also include operations for encrypting object data, and encrypting final data based upon the keystream and the encrypted object data.
US09825756B2

The present invention is directed to communication systems. According to embodiments of the present invention, a communication system includes at least two communication lanes and a skew management module. The skew management module generates a control current based on output test patterns of the two communication lanes. The control current is integrated and compared to a reference voltage by a comparator, which generates an analog offset signal. A PLL of one of the communication lanes generates a corrected clock signal that is adjusted using the analog offset signal to remove or adjust the skew between the communication lanes. The corrected clock signal is used for output data. There are other embodiments as well.
US09825739B2

A wireless receiving device removes signals of a redundant portion of each symbol of a transmission signal to extract signals of a data portion. The wireless receiving device linearly approximates, for each symbol, the overall variation in phase rotation of the symbol calculated by using the signals of the data portion to estimate the amount of phase rotation per time unit of the data portion. Subsequently, the wireless receiving device individually corrects each of the signals of the data portion according to the estimated amount of phase rotation per time unit to correct the signals of the data portion in a single symbol and over a plurality of symbols accordingly on a packet-by-packet basis. The signals of the data portion thus corrected are converted to subcarrier signals.
US09825738B2

An Acknowledgment (ACK) method is provided by a receiving device in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The receiving device receives a plurality of data units having a plurality of Traffic Identifiers (TIDs) and transmits an ACK frame including a plurality of ACK information fields for at least part of the plurality of data units. An ACK information field for a data unit satisfying a first condition among the plurality of ACK information fields includes a Traffic Identifier (TID) and a block ACK bitmap indicating whether the data unit has been successfully received. An ACK information field for a data unit satisfying a second condition and having been successfully received among the plurality of ACK information fields includes the first TID and does not include a block ACK bitmap.
US09825734B2

In one embodiment, a device for participating in a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) communication with another device includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor is operative to prepare VOIP packets for sending to the other device via the communication interface as part of the VOIP communication, the communication interface is operative to send the VOIP packets to the other device, and the processor is operative to receive an indication of a communication problem related to the transfer of at least some of the VOIP packets to the other device, based on receiving the indication of the communication problem, output a notification indicating that voice input should cease, and cease transmission of other one of the VOIP packets until receiving an indication that the communication problem has been resolved. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US09825732B1

Disclosed are a signal processing method and a signal processing circuit for suppressing Co-Channel Interference (CCI). By using the signal processing method and the signal processing circuit provided by the instant disclosure, determining whether each subcarrier is affected by CCI will be more precise because the non-data subcarrier and the data subcarrier are both processed. Moreover, in the instant disclosure, the results to determine whether the subcarriers are affected by CCI are recorded as an N×K error matrix, and thus the receiver may detect the static interference and the dynamic interference according to this N×K error matrix.
US09825725B2

Code generating including generating a non-correlation sequence for RS of a first resource block; spreading spectrums of elements in the non-correlation sequence for RS to be mapped to a first frequency resource of the first resource block, by using a first group of codes; second spreading spectrums of elements in the non-correlation sequence for RS to be mapped to a second frequency resource of the first resource block, by using a second group of Codes; the first and second frequency resources are adjacent frequency resources in frequency resource elements used for RS transmission in the first resource block, and the first and second groups of Codes are mirrors in column to each other; and mapping the spectrum-spread elements to the first and second frequency resources, respectively.
US09825719B2

A radio communication device includes: a directivity control unit that configures each of directivities of a plurality of antennas; a directivity switching unit that switches between the directivities of the antennas; a reception quality estimation unit that measures a reception quality of a received signal received by the antennas; and a block error estimation unit that estimates a block error in reception data which is obtained by decoding the received signal. In the case where a block error occurs continuously for a predetermined number of times or longer and an amount of decrease in the reception quality is lower than a predetermined value, the directivity control unit re-adjusts a directivity to decrease the block error, based on a result of the estimation of the block error and a result of the measurement of the reception quality, the re-adjusted directivity being one of the directivities of the antennas.
US09825707B2

Aspects of the present invention include apparatus and methods for transmitting and receiving signals in communication systems. A multicarrier generator generates a multicarrier signal. An optical demultiplexer separates the multicarrier signal into separate multicarrier signals. At least one QPSK modulator modulates signals from the separate multicarrier signals. An optical multiplexer combines the QPSK modulated signals into a multiplexed signal. The multiplexed signal is then transmitted.
US09825698B2

A method and apparatus for determining in-band OSNR in optical information signals, e.g. in polarization-multiplexed QPSK and higher-order M-ary QAM signals, are disclosed. A correlation measurement of the signal amplitude or power at two distinct optical frequencies of the signal may be used to determine the in-band optical noise in the signal. A measurement of the signal power may be used to determine the OSNR based on the determined in-band noise.
US09825697B2

The subject matter of the invention is a collective remote signaling device for a plurality of serially-arranged devices, wherein each of the devices has an optical signaling unit, with the devices being arranged on a mounting rail, wherein the collective remote signaling device (FM) is likewise arranged on the mounting rail, with the collective remote signaling device having an optical sensor, wherein the optical sensor is connected to the optical signaling units of the devices via an optical waveguide, wherein a state which is displayed by means of one of the optical signaling units at one of the devices is relayed via the optical waveguide to the optical sensor, and is detected in the collective remote signaling device and signaled, with the collective remote signaling device having an optical transmitter, with the optical transmitter being connected to the optical signaling units of the devices via the optical waveguide and light is provided at least for a time to the optical signaling units, whereupon the optical signaling unit changes the return flow of the light provided upon a change in state.
US09825690B2

A base station signal matching device is a base station signal matching device mounted in a distributed antenna system for amplifying a received base station signal and transmitting the amplified base station signal to a user terminal. The base station signal matching device includes a first unit for generating first and second branch base station signals by using a power division function based on the base station signal, and transmitting the second branch base station signal to a third unit, and a second unit for matching the first branch base station signal to be suitable for signal processing of the distributed antenna system.
US09825680B2

A wireless communication system is disclosed. The wireless communication system performs data transmission using spatially multiplexed streams from a first terminal including N antennas to a second terminal including M antennas (N and M are integers larger than or equal to 2 and N>M).
US09825670B2

A method is disclosed for delivering broadband video data to an end user device comprising transmitting broadband video data via a radio frequency transmitter to a home radio frequency receiver located at a residential power transformer providing electrical power to a home; coupling the broadband video data from the home radio frequency receiver to a first modem onto a copper power line electrically coupled to the residential power transformer; receiving the broadband data on a second modem from the copper power line; and sending from the second modem, different portions of the broadband data to each of a plurality of end user devices in the home. A system and computer program for performing the method are disclosed.
US09825669B1

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward the use of broadcast transmissions to multiple endpoint devices. These broadcast transmissions can be particularly useful for reducing the communication bandwidth used during transmission of configuration data to the endpoint devices. In order to implement the broadcast communications, the present disclosure describes a mechanism for configuring targeted endpoint devices to be responsive to the broadcast communications. For instance, a configuration command can be sent to each of the targeted endpoint devices. The configuration command can include a virtual ID. The targeted endpoint devices can configure themselves to listen for subsequent broadcast messages addressed to the virtual ID. Configuration data can then be sent using the virtual ID and associated broadcast messages.
US09825667B2

The device includes: a signal generating unit generating a millimeter wave signal by signal processing of an input signal; a coupling circuit transmitting an electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal generated by the signal generating unit to one end of a circuit board; a coupling circuit receiving the electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal from the other end of the circuit board; and a signal generating unit that generates an output signal by signal processing of the millimeter wave signal from the electromagnetic wave received by the coupling circuit. Preferably, the circuit board is constituted by a dielectric material whose the dielectric loss tangent is relatively large, and a transmission line functioning as a millimeter wave transmission path is constituted within this circuit board. With this construction, extremely high-speed signals can be transmitted through a circuit board having a prescribed dielectric constant representing a large loss.
US09825666B2

The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to wired communication channels, such as telephone lines in a bundled telephone cable. In some implementations, a system includes telephone lines bundled together, electronic equipment at a first location includes a first transceiver device for each of the telephone lines, where each first transceiver device at the first location is configured to coordinate transmissions over a respective telephone line coupled with the first transceiver device; and second transceiver devices coupled respectively with the telephone lines at second locations, such that each second transceiver device is respectively paired with a first transceiver device at the first location; each pair of the first and second transceiver devices is configured to force transmission on a telephone line connecting the pair when another pair of the first and second transceiver devices estimates a signal to noise ratio on the telephone line connecting the other pair.
US09825657B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a radio frequency transceiver. The transceiver includes a modulator for modulating a data signal onto one or more carrier signals to generate a modulated signal and a power amplifier for amplifying the modulated signal. The transceiver also includes a data pre-distorter (DPD) for pre-distorting the data signal using a look-up table that represents a non-linear transfer function that is an inverse of the non-linear transfer function of the power amplifier. The DPD selects one or more look-up tables based on a feedback signal corresponding to a power level and/or a phase of the output of the power amplifier. The transmitter also includes a controller for comparing the output of the power amplifier to a desired output level and upon sensing changes, altering the amplitude and phase of the feedback signal to substantially constant values.
US09825640B2

Methods and systems for time interleaved analog-to-digital converter timing mismatch calibration and compensation may include receiving an analog signal on a chip, converting the analog signal to a digital signal utilizing a time interleaved analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), and reducing a blocker signal that is generated by timing offsets in the time interleaved ADC by estimating complex coupling coefficients between a desired digital output signal and the blocker signal utilizing a decorrelation algorithm on frequencies within a desired frequency bandwidth. The decorrelation algorithm may comprise a symmetric adaptive decorrelation algorithm. The received analog signal may be generated by a calibration tone generator on the chip. An aliased signal may be summed with an output signal from a multiplier. The complex coupling coefficients may be determined utilizing the decorrelation algorithm on the summed signals. A multiplier may be configured to cancel the blocker signal utilizing the determined complex coupling coefficients.
US09825639B2

The present disclosure is directed towards systems and method for actively tuning a phase locked loop based on vibration excitation levels experienced by the phase locked loop. A bandwidth of the phase locked loop can be actively increased or decreased based upon a detected vibration level. In an embodiment, the phase locked loop includes a controllable oscillator, an output module, a filter module and a detector. The filter module can be configured to receive a bandwidth control signal to modify a bandwidth of the phase locked loop based on a vibration signal. In an embodiment, the vibration signal corresponds to a vibration level experienced by the phased locked loop. The detector can be configured to receive a PLL output signal from the output module and to receive a PLL input signal.
US09825637B2

A system, method and apparatus for tuning an internal oscillator to a desired frequency F1 is shown and uses an RC delay element that comprises a resistor, a capacitor and a comparator. The method includes receiving a clock signal from an oscillator to be tuned, triggering charging of the RC delay element, and N clock cycles after triggering the charging, the method determines whether the charge on the precision RC delay element is higher than or lower than a reference voltage. Correction to the clock frequency is based on the results.
US09825633B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for segmented and direct routing in a programmable gate array. In one embodiment, the programmable gate array comprises a plurality of programmable tiles, including at least one SHLRT having: a block configurable as a logic function or a routing function; and one or more switching blocks coupled to programmable tiles in the plurality of programmable tiles for segmented routing.
US09825631B1

An impedance calibration circuit includes a first code generator, a first code storing circuit, a second code generator and a second code storing circuit. The first code generator generates a pull-up control code obtained from a result of comparing a target output high level (VOH) voltage with a first voltage of a first node. The first code storing circuit stores the pull-up control code when the target VOH voltage becomes the same as the first voltage. The second code generator generates a pull-down control code obtained from a result of comparing the VOH voltage with a second voltage of a second node. The second storing circuit stores the pull-down control code when the target VOH voltage becomes the same as the second voltage. The first code storing circuit and the second code storing circuit store pull-up control code and pull-down control code pairs respectively.
US09825625B2

A circuit for turning off a power semiconductor switch includes a turn-off transistor coupled to switch a signal for turning off the power semiconductor switch onto a control terminal of the power semiconductor switch and a feedback control loop for controlling a voltage on the control terminal of the power semiconductor switch during turn-off. The feedback loop includes a feedback path to feedback a measurement of the voltage of the control terminal of the power semiconductor switch, a control terminal reference voltage generator to generate a time-dependent reference voltage, an error amplifier to generate an error signal representative of a difference between the voltage of the control terminal and the time-dependent reference voltage, and a forward path to convey the error signal forward for controlling the switching of the signal for turning off the power semiconductor switch onto the control terminal of the power semiconductor switch by the turn-off transistor.
US09825623B2

The invention relates to a filter, for example, a switchable harmonic filter for the gigahertz range. A first line segment, which can comprise a radial stub leads away from a main line of the filter. A second line segment can be electrically connected to the first line segment. At least two electronically controllable switching elements are provided, by means of which the first and the second line segment can be connected.
US09825616B2

A wave shaping circuit reduces slope magnitudes during increasing and decreasing voltage transitions. The wave shaping circuit includes a first switch that receives an input voltage having at least two voltage values where an input voltage transition between the at least two voltage values has a first slope magnitude; an inductor connected in series with the first switch; a second switch connected in a parallel arrangement with the first switch and the inductor; and a capacitor having a first end connected between the inductor and an output port and a second end connected to ground. When the input voltage begins the input voltage transition to a higher voltage value, the first switch turns on and the second switch turns off, such that the inductor limits current flow from the input voltage, decreasing a second slope magnitude of an output voltage transition to less than the first slope magnitude.
US09825609B2

A laterally coupled multi-mode monolithic filter includes: a substrate; a piezoelectric film formed on the substrate; a ground electrode formed on a first surface of the piezoelectric film; and signal electrodes formed on a second surface of the piezoelectric film and arranged in parallel to each other, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, each of the signal electrodes including a first electrode finger and a second electrode finger, wherein the first electrode finger and the second electrode finger have different electric potentials; adjacent signal electrodes of the signal electrodes are at a distance from each other, the distance being greater than a pitch of the first electrode finger and the second electrode finger.
US09825608B2

A method and apparatus for detecting RF field strength. A field strength reference generator develops a field strength reference current as a function of a field strength of a received RF signal; and a field strength quantizer develops a digital field-strength value indicative of the field strength reference current. In one embodiment, detected field strength is used to dynamically vary the impedance of a tank circuit whereby, over time, induced current is maximized.
US09825601B2

A differential two-stage amplifier is provided. The differential two-stage amplifier includes an input circuit, a bias circuit, a common mode feedback circuit, a first stage amplifier, a second stage amplifier and a current compensation circuit. The input circuit receives an input current. The bias circuit provides a bias current. The first stage amplifier is coupled to the input circuit and the second stage amplifier. The common mode feedback circuit is coupled to the second stage amplifier and adjusts a common mode feedback current according to a common mode voltage, wherein the input current is made up of the bias current and the common mode feedback current. The current compensation circuit provides a compensation current, wherein when a temperature of the differential two-stage amplifier is greater than a predetermined temperature, the compensation current is input to the input circuit.
US09825598B2

A combined ambient sound and secondary audio system comprises at least one microphone for receiving ambient sound, at least one receiver for receiving secondary audio from a secondary audio source not audible in the ambient sound. The system further includes a memory storing one or more sets processing parameters comprising instructions for processing the ambient sound and the secondary audio and a processor coupled to the memory, the microphone, and the receiver configured to generate combined ambient and secondary sound by combining the ambient sound and the secondary audio as directed by a selected set of processing parameters retrieved from the memory.
US09825595B2

A wideband highly linear amplifier includes a plurality of pre-distortion units for respectively linearizing digital signals of a plurality of bands, a synthesis unit for synthesizing output signals of the pre-distortion units, a single amplifier for amplifying signals outputted from the synthesis unit, distribution units for respectively separating the signals for each of the plurality of bands from the output signals of the amplifier, a plurality of inverse compensation attenuators for respectively attenuating the separated signals for each of the plurality of bands, and a feedback path for respectively feeding the attenuated signals for each of the plurality of bands back into the pre-distortion unit of the corresponding band out of the plurality of the pre-distortion units.
US09825590B2

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of receiver structures in radio communication systems and more specifically to passive mixers in the receiver structure and to a technique for converting a first signal having a first frequency into a second signal having a second frequency by using a third signal having a third frequency. A passive mixer for converting a first signal having a first frequency into a second signal having a second frequency by using a third signal having a third frequency comprises a cancellation component 220 for generating a first cancellation signal for cancelling second order intermodulation components by superimposing the first signal weighted by a cancellation value on the third signal; and a mixing component 231 having a first terminal 232 for receiving the first signal, a second terminal 234 for outputting the second signal, and a third terminal 236 for receiving the first cancellation signal, wherein the mixing component 231 is adapted to provide the second signal as output at the second terminal 234 by mixing the first signal provided as input at the first terminal 232 and the first cancellation signal provided as input at the third terminal 236.
US09825581B2

A mounting system for supporting a plurality of photovoltaic modules on a sloped support surface, such as a sloped roof, is disclosed herein. The mounting system may include one or more support surface attachment devices, each support surface attachment device configured to attach one or more photovoltaic modules to a support surface; and one or more module coupling devices, each module coupling device configured to couple a plurality of photovoltaic modules to one another.
US09825580B2

A method for constructing real-time solar irradiation metering network of gigawatt-level photovoltaic power generation base comprises the following steps: Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of irradiation quantity of the target area is analyzed based on the historical observation data of the irradiation quantity. The outline location of solar irradiation metering stations is determined by dividing the typical areas where the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics are consistent. The detailed location of solar irradiation metering stations is selected based on the center location distribution of photovoltaic power station clustering. A solar irradiation metering device is constructed on the detailed location of the solar irradiation metering station.
US09825579B2

A temperature estimating apparatus for a synchronous motor comprises: a voltage command generating unit for controlling d-phase current by increasing or decreasing d-phase and q-phase voltages; a voltage acquiring unit for d-phase and q-phase voltages when the d-phase current is varied; a rotating speed detecting unit for the synchronous motor; a current detecting unit for the d-phase and q-phase currents; a winding temperature acquiring unit; a winding resistance converting unit for winding resistance from winding temperature; an inductance calculating unit for d-axis inductance based on the variation of the d-phase current and the q-phase voltage and on the rotating speed; a counter electromotive voltage constant calculating unit from the q-phase voltage, the varied d-phase current, the rotating speed, the q-phase current, the winding resistance, and the d-axis inductance; and a magnet temperature estimating unit for estimating magnet temperature based on the counter electromotive voltage constant.
US09825573B2

A device for ripple controlling an alternator includes an alternator including a rotor and a stator, a detector for detecting a rotation position of the rotor, and a controller for controlling the alternator to generate a toque ripple with an opposite phase to a rotation of a crankshaft of an engine.
US09825563B2

Apparatus features a microcontroller configured to: receive signaling containing information about a measured change of a magnetic field created by a magnetic circuit driving a motor; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about the speed of rotation of the motor, based upon the signaling received. The microcontroller provides control signaling containing information to control the operation of the motor, including where the motor control is used to control the flow of fluids from a pump. A Hall Effect Sensor is used to sense the magnetic flux and provide the signaling in the form of a feedback signal for implementing motor control. The motor housing has a slot, the Hall Effect sensor is mounted external the motor housing over the slot, and a ferromagnetic bridge is arranged over the Hall Effect sensor to close the magnetic circuit and cause more flux to go through the Hall Effect sensor.
US09825560B2

An interleaved bridgeless power factor correction (PFC) converter-based motor drive system is provided. The system includes a first inductor coupled to a second inductor. The coupled first and second inductors are coupled to a first input configured to be coupled to a first line of an alternating current (AC) power supply. The system also includes a third inductor coupled to a fourth inductor. The coupled third and fourth inductors are coupled to a second input configured to be coupled to a second line of the AC power supply. The system further includes a digital active power factor correction (PFC) controller configured to cause current in at least one of the coupled first and second inductors and the coupled third and fourth inductors to be interleaved.
US09825556B2

An inverter includes a three-winding transformer, a DC-AC inverter electrically coupled to the first winding of the transformer, a cycloconverter electrically coupled to the second winding of the transformer, and an active filter electrically coupled to the third winding of the transformer. The DC-AC inverter is adapted to convert the input DC waveform to an AC waveform delivered to the transformer at the first winding. The cycloconverter is adapted to convert an AC waveform received at the second winding of the transformer to the output AC waveform having a grid frequency of the AC grid. The active filter is adapted to sink and source power with one or more energy storage devices based on a mismatch in power between the DC source and the AC grid. At least two of the DC-AC inverter, the cycloconverter, or the active filter are electrically coupled via a common reference electrical interconnect.
US09825540B2

An overcurrent protection control circuit detects a low set value of an output voltage from a drop in voltage at a VCC terminal below a reference voltage. The overcurrent protection control circuit switches an overcurrent limit value from a high reference voltage to a low reference voltage and switches a maximum limit value of a switching frequency from a high first maximum switching frequency to a low second maximum switching frequency. By doing so, an overcurrent limit value of a switching element and a maximum limit value of a switching frequency are set to low values and a rise in output current is suppressed.
US09825535B2

Techniques are described to adjust an amount of time a switch is turned off to control power delivered to a load. In some examples, the amount of time the switch is off includes a delay count value and a set count value based on an output power level. In some examples, the amount of time the switch is off includes a zero crossing delay value based on the input voltage level. Both of these example techniques increase the switching efficiency of the system.
US09825533B2

Systems and methods are provided for voltage regulation of power conversion systems. An example system controller includes: a first sampling component configured to sample a sensing signal and determine a compensation signal based on at least in part on the sensing signal, the sensing signal being associated with a first current flowing through a primary winding of a power conversion system; a signal processing component configured to receive a feedback signal and the compensation signal and generate a first signal based at least in part on the feedback signal and the compensation signal, the feedback signal being associated with an auxiliary winding coupled with a secondary winding of the power conversion system; an error amplifier configured to receive the first signal and a reference signal and generate an amplified signal based at least in part on the first signal and the reference signal.
US09825531B2

A power circuit is described that includes a transformer arranged to store energy. The power circuit further includes a parallel switch device arranged in parallel to a secondary side winding of the transformer, an output port coupled to a device and the secondary side winding of the transformer, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to receive, from the device, information indicative of a required voltage associated with the device, and control, based on the information, the parallel switch device to generate, based on an amount of energy stored at the transformer, the required voltage as an output voltage at the output port.
US09825517B2

A controlling module includes a current-command generating unit for generating reference current signal based on an output voltage of a power conversion module, a current sensor configured to sense an inductor current of the power conversion module and generate current sense signal, a current comparator for generating current compare signal when the current sense signal equaling to the reference current signal, and an off-time controller for generating off-time control signal based on an input voltage and the output voltage of the power conversion module. The controlling module further includes a time-base counter and a peak-current controlling unit. The time-base counter receives the current compare signal and the off-time control signal, and generates a trigger signal when an off-time interval established by the off-time control signal elapses. The peak-current controlling unit makes a power switch of the power conversion module in a conduction state based on the trigger signal.
US09825506B2

Hobby servo blocks are provided. In certain circumstances, servo blocks may increase a servo's load-bearing capabilities by helping to isolate the lateral load from the servo spline and case. The extreme versatility of servo blocks allow users to create complex, extremely rigid, structures with ease using standard servos. The robust framework acts as a servo exoskeleton, greatly enhancing the mechanical loads the servo can withstand. Additionally, servo blocks may include a hub pattern that is repeated throughout the framework to allow endless attachment options.
US09825496B2

A new and improved method for producing electric energy or mechanical power, and in particular to an improved system and method for producing rotary motion from an electro-magnetic motor or generating electrical power from a rotary motion input by concentrating magnetic forces due to electromagnetism or geometric configurations.
US09825495B2

A rotating electric machine including a rotator including a small-angle rotator portion and a large-angle rotator portion respectively having different inter-magnet end angles, each being a plane angle formed between a line connecting one outermost peripheral-side end of a permanent magnet and an axial center of the rotator and a line connecting an outermost peripheral-side end of another permanent magnet and the axial center of the rotator. The rotator includes three layers of the small-angle rotator portion, the large-angle rotator portion, and the small-angle rotator portion, which are laminated in the stated order along an axial line of the rotator. Therefore, demagnetization due to a temperature rise of the permanent magnets is suppressed. In addition, a temperature distribution in the permanent magnets in the axial direction of the rotator is reduced.
US09825488B2

A power supply switching device and switch board checks whether or not a primary-side voltage of a remote shutoff breaker and a secondary-side voltage thereof become a rated voltage after a commercial power system is recovered from a blackout. Next, when both primary-side voltage and secondary-side voltage become the rated voltage, a contactor is actuated to interconnect a home power system with the commercial power system. Hence, charging of the home power system without causing a user to notice such a charging upon recovery of the commercial power system from a blackout can be prevented. As a result, the safety for the user can be ensured.
US09825480B2

An apparatus for performing hybrid power control in an electronic device includes a charger positioned in the electronic device, and the charger is arranged for selectively charging a battery of the electronic device. In addition, at least one portion of the charger is implemented within a charger chip. For example, the charger may include: a first terminal, positioned on the charger chip; a second terminal, positioned on the charger chip and selectively coupled to the first terminal; a third terminal, positioned on the charger chip and selectively coupled to the second terminal; a fourth terminal, positioned on the charger chip and coupled to the third terminal; a first power output path, coupled to the fourth terminal, arranged for providing a first voltage level; and a second power output path, coupled to the third terminal, arranged for selectively providing a second voltage level that is greater than the first voltage level.
US09825478B2

A power system within a portable electronic device is disclosed. In order to discharge electricity stored in a rechargeable battery within the portable electronic device to a discharge cutoff voltage, a charge booster charges the rechargeable battery with electric power coming from an AC/DC adaptor. When the AC/DC adaptor is detached, the charge booster performs boosting operation to supply power to a load from the rechargeable battery. The charge booster operates only when input voltage of the load decreases. A direct discharge circuit operates in conjunction with the charge booster, and when the charge booster does not perform any boosting operation, electric power is supplied directly from the rechargeable battery to a DC/DC converter. The charge booster can keep the input voltage of the DC/DC converter until the voltage reaches a discharge cutoff voltage of the rechargeable battery, and then stops operation when electric power is being supplied from the direct discharge circuit.
US09825475B2

A rechargeable power cell having no voltage across its positive and negative power terminals unless the power cell is inserted into a device configured to accept the power cell is described. The power cell includes a battery management processor and battery insertion detection circuitry that cooperate to determine when the power cell is inserted into the device and then drive an electronic switch to provide for conduction of current from the power cell to the positive terminal of the cell.
US09825468B1

A fully integrated circuit configuration that can be used to control the power path of a number of PMOS load switches is described. The circuit has a unique feature that it can automatically select the input voltage to be presented to the VOUT pin based upon the voltage levels at the respective VIN pins. By using combinations of the EN input pin and the SEL input pin, the circuit can be configured to perform one of four functional behaviors: 1. Complete shutdown (both switches in the OFF position), 2. Automatic input selection according the voltage levels that are presented on the VIN pins, 3. Selection of the VIN1 input only, or 4. Selection of the VIN2 input only. This concept is extended to multiple input sources in further embodiments.
US09825466B2

A power supply device includes a power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power, a communication unit that communicates with an electronic device, and a control unit that controls the communication unit to transmit a predetermined data to the electronic device based on whether or not the electronic device is connected to an external device supplying power to the electronic device.
US09825465B2

A voltage monitoring control device includes: a transceiver unit communicating with local voltage control devices adjusting a control amount of voltage control apparatuses that control a voltage on a power distribution line in a high-voltage system every second cycle based on a command value updated every first cycle; an indicatable-range updating unit determining an indicatable range, which is a range of reactive power indicatable to the local voltage control device, based on a control result received via the transceiver unit from the local voltage control device that controls a reactive-power-modified voltage control apparatus, the control result being a limit-value time or a limit-value-time ratio; and a reactive-power determination unit determining a reactive-power command value, which is a command value updated every first cycle based on the indicatable range and transmitted, via the transceiver unit, to the local voltage control device that controls the reactive-power-modified voltage control apparatus.
US09825463B2

A device for monitoring the properties of an electrical grid including an electrical connector for coupling to the electrical grid through a wall socket, a detector for detecting at least one property of electricity provided by the electrical grid, a receiver for receiving clock signals, and a sampler for sampling a respective detected property and recording sampled values in a memory, wherein the variation of the values with time represents a waveform of the respective property and the sampler samples at a rate sufficient to record variations of the property within a period of the waveform, wherein the device associates at least a portion of the sampled values with at least one clock signal.
US09825462B2

When some failure occurs in the case where power interchange is performed among grids, an alternate route is searched at high speed in consideration of a deficiency/excess amount of power. A power network system has a plurality of power routers (1-7), power transmission lines (100-111) connecting the power routers, a controller (8), a communication network (10), and communication lines (11). The controller (8) obtains a reception electric energy and a transmission electric energy in the power routers (1-7), detects a failure due to a fault in, for example, the power router (4), and searches for an alternate route to solve deficiency/excess power caused by the failure occurrence. Concretely, an alternate route is searched while following a power router having excessive power as a root node by a breadth first search, and transmitting the deficiency/excess power and an allowable power transmission capacity in each of the power routers to an adjacent power router. A control instruction related to interchange power is output via the alternate route.
US09825457B2

An autonomous breaker can apply a current through a high impedance source to a bus coupled to either end of a breaker in order to measure an impedance of the bus. The status of the bus can be determined from the measurement. Based on the determined status, a fault detection procedure can be selected and implemented to determine if a fault exists on the bus. When the fault detection procedure has been implemented and no fault has been detected, the breaker can close, and thus couple the bus to another bus.
US09825455B2

A robotic catheter control system includes a plurality of electric motors. Diagnostic logic automatically detects motor runaway fault conditions based on the current motor position, the target motor position and a predetermined tolerance parameter. Fault conditions include overshoot, movement in the a non-prescribed direction, exceeding a prescribed maximum motor speed and exceeding a prescribed maximum motor acceleration. The diagnostic logic terminates operating power to the electric motor when a fault condition is detected for any one of the motor. An error message is generated to notify the operator of the fault.
US09825454B2

A protection device for protecting an electronic device includes a current sensing module, for detecting a current flowing through a power supply path of the electronic device to generate a current signal; a processing device, coupled to the current sensing module, for receiving the current signal to determine whether the current corresponding to the current signal is greater than a first threshold value and outputting a control signal accordingly; a first switch, disposed on the power supply path, for controlling the power supply path to be switched on or off according to an input voltage of the power supply path; and a first control module, coupled to the processing device and the first switch, for controlling the first switch to be turned on or off according to the control signal outputted by the processing device, in order to control the power supply path to be switched on or off.
US09825452B2

An apparatus may include a sensor housing, a light sensor disposed within the sensor housing, the light sensor arranged to generate a detection signal when light impinges on the light sensor, a sensor lens disposed at least partially outside the sensor housing, wherein a distal portion of the sensor lens extends a first distance above the sensor housing, the sensor lens being transparent, wherein light received from outside the sensor housing is transmitted to the light sensor; and a light emitter assembly disposed outside the sensor housing at a second distance above the housing less than the first distance.
US09825446B2

An electrical box mounting bracket includes a mounting frame having a central opening. A removable support member is coupled to an inner edge of the central opening by a frangible tab. A removable extension member is coupled to the support member by a frangible tab that can be removed and attached to an end of the support member. A cable guide is coupled to an inner edge of the central opening by a first fold line and is bendable to a position for supporting a cable. The cable guide has a body or support plate with a plurality of adjacent cable openings with a retaining tab between two adjacent cable openings. The retaining tab is bendable from a first open position for inserting a cable into the cable openings and a second closed position to retain the cable in the cable openings.
US09825444B2

An electrical wire cover prevents the tip of a tie member from being inserted between electrical wires when multiple electrical wires are wrapped by the tie member, and it protects and leads electrical wires to the outside. The electrical wire cover includes an electrical wire insertion portion into which the electrical wires are inserted; a tie member insertion portion provided on the outer circumferential side of the electrical wire insertion portion, and into which a tie member is inserted; a tie member lead-out portion by which the tie member is led to the outside of the electrical wire insertion portion; and an electrical wire fixing portion provided on the outer circumferential side of the electrical wire insertion portion, and that fixes the electrical wires by wrapping them along with the tie member.
US09825436B2

The invention relates to optimize the use of electronic cabinets in connector technology, using simplified internal connector technology and flexibility in adapting the external connector technology to the connectors of the cabling assemblies—electronic and/or optical connector technologies—and on the structurally. To this end, according to an embodiment, an overall box-shaped electronic cabinet (1) that is fitted with at least one detachable interconnection module (6a, 6b) is provided with a bottom wall (14) including a bottom card (4) connected to a set of electronic modules (5). The rear wall (14) is extended by edges (14a, 14b) provided with connectors (C1a, C1b) that are capable of being coupled to the connectors (C6a, C6b) that are arranged on a side surface (62a, 62b) of the detachable interconnection module (6a) (6b). Devices for closing and releasably locking the at least one detachable interconnection module (6a, 6b) are provided between a handle (8a, 8b) of an interconnection module (6; 6a, 6b) and the side wall (15, 16) of the cabinet (1).
US09825434B2

A spark gap including a capacitive energy store is provided. The spark gap is fed via a multiplicity of capacitors arranged in a form of a ring, wherein the capacitors are electrically connected to the anode and the cathode via ring-shaped and conical or funnel-shaped conductors. As a result, sudden changes in impedance can be avoided. At the same time, it is possible to realize as large a cross-sectional area of the conductor as possible within a very small space. Therefore, the spark gap has a switching response with a high rate of rise of the voltage pulse as soon as the spark gaps flash over. This results in an easily predictable switching response of the spark gap. The spark gap can be used, for example, to generate pulses of monochromatic X-ray radiation.
US09825424B2

An object is to provide an optical device capable of relaxing a manufacturing condition for an optical waveguide used in the optical device. An optical device 500 is provided with an optical waveguide 200 including a core and a cladding optically joined together, and a temperature controller 600 that controls temperature of the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide includes the core and the cladding formed such that a normalized frequency specified for light propagating through the optical waveguide changes across a cutoff frequency of a guided mode determined from a structure of the optical waveguide in a temperature range in which a refractive index of the core is higher than a refractive index of the clad. The temperature controller controls the temperature of the optical waveguide over a temperature range across temperature at which the normalized frequency equals to the cutoff frequency.
US09825423B2

A laser-frequency stabilizer includes: a light detector that converts a laser beam passing through an iodine cell to an optical output signal, an actuator that changes a resonator length in accordance with a received output voltage, and a control unit that controls the output voltage applied to the actuator. The control unit searches for a target saturated absorption line based on the optical output signal and, when the output voltage when the target saturated absorption line is found is within a normal voltage range that is predetermined corresponding to the target saturated absorption line, locks a oscillation frequency of the laser beam to the target saturated absorption line.
US09825419B2

In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a fiber laser system for the generation and delivery of femtosecond (fs) pulses in multiple wavelength ranges. For improved versatility in multi-photon microscopy, an example of a dual wavelength fiber system based on Nd fiber source providing gain at 920 and 1060 nm is described. An example of a three-wavelength system is included providing outputs at 780 nm, 940 nm, and 1050 nm. The systems include dispersion compensation so that high quality fs pulses are provided for applications in microscopy, for example in multiphoton microscope (MPM) systems.
US09825401B2

A connector is adapted to be attached to a case of an electronic device unit. The connector includes a connector assembly adapted to be accommodated in the case through an opening provided in the case, an escutcheon adapted to be attached to the case to close the opening, and an elastic member arranged at a position to be interposed between the connector assembly and the escutcheon when the escutcheon is attached to the case in a state in which the connector assembly is accommodated in the case. The connector assembly includes a terminal, a housing holding the terminal, and a circuit board connected to the terminal. The elastic member is configured to bias the connector assembly toward the case such that the circuit board is pressed against the case to position the connector assembly with respect to the case.
US09825397B2

A grommet-equipped connector includes a connector and a grommet. The connector includes a panel engagement portion configured to be engaged with an attachment hole of a panel and an annular flange configured to face an edge portion of the attachment hole. The grommet includes a panel contact portion configured to be fitted so as to cover the flange and intimately contact the edge portion. A flange fitting groove in which the flange is inserted over an entire perimeter is formed inside the panel contact portion. The flange has a flange protrusion portion protruding outward and guided by the flange fitting groove.
US09825389B2

Connectors providing solderless contact between conductors and a plurality of contact pads disposed on a substrate are disclosed. Connectors accommodating cables including pairs of insulated conductors are disclosed. Connector assemblies including frames for reversibly mounting the connectors with substrates having a plurality of contact pads are also disclosed.
US09825385B1

According to one embodiment, a holder includes a recessed portion and including an opening, and includes a contact exposed from part of a bottom surface of the recessed portion. A lid covers the holder from the recessed portion side, makes a space in the recessed portion airtight in an engaged state in which the opening of the recessed portion is closed, and includes an elastic member pushing down a contained object contained in the recessed portion. And a lock mechanism forms the engaged state between the lid and the holder.
US09825384B2

A point-of-care system that can include a contact pad on a printed circuit board and a connector assembly for retaining a lead and positioning the lead in contact with the pad on the printed circuit board and with interfaces of a cuvette. The connector assembly can include a base component and a clamp component, where the base component can define at least one recessed track for receiving each lead. The clamp component can be secured to the base component to clamp the at least one lead between the base component and the clamp component without flux or solder. The connector assembly can be secured to the printed circuit board without flux or solder.
US09825377B2

A conductive member of the present invention includes: a metallic conductive base material including a joining region to be joined to another conductive member when the conductive member is used; and a conductive-auxiliary-coating-agent layer for imparting conductivity and an oxidation preventing property to a joining section between the joining region and another conductive member when the conductive member is used, the conductive-auxiliary-coating-agent layer being formed by applying a conductive auxiliary coating agent to the joining region of the conductive base material, in which the joining region of the conductive base material has a surface roughness of 0.6 μm or less in terms of an arithmetic mean roughness Ra specified in JISB0601 (1994).
US09825375B2

The present invention relates to a connection structure for a terminal fitting (1010). The connection structure includes a terminal fitting (1010) including a terminal body (1011) to be fastened and fixed to a grounding surface and a plurality of terminal connecting portions (1021) extended from the terminal body; and a junction terminal (1030) electrically connected to ground wire (D) and electrically connected to the terminal connecting portions (1021). This connection structure enables a plurality of ground wires to be electrically connected all together to a grounding surface in a space-saving manner.
US09825368B2

Method and apparatus for making antennas and antenna components suitable for wideband transmission and reception are disclosed. Material accretion devices or apparatus such as a 3D printer can be used to form the antennas and antenna components. The antenna and antenna components can include folded and/or self-similar features.
US09825358B2

Described embodiments include a system, method, and apparatus. The system includes an antenna comprising a sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to define selectable arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a surface of the antenna. A mapping engine models an environment within a space radiateable by the antenna. The environment includes a target device and a human being. An optimization circuit selects responsive to the model of the environment a power transmission regime. The power transmission regime includes radiation pattern shaped to wirelessly transfer electromagnetic power from the antenna to the target device without exceeding a radiation exposure limit for humans. A gain definition circuit selects a complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field implementing the selected power transmission regime from the at least two selectable arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. An antenna controller defines the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field in the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture.
US09825354B2

The present invention discloses are configurable MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna for vehicles. The antenna comprises a balanced antenna and an unbalanced antenna mounted on a supporting substrate. Both the balanced antenna and the unbalanced antenna are located towards the same end of the substrate and the substrate comprises a substantially triangular planar element.
US09825350B2

A circuit board assembly for an electronic device, comprising: a main circuit board provided with a ground plane and at least one electronic component for performing one or more functions of the electronic device; a wireless module board spaced apart from and over the main circuit board, the wireless module board being provided with a feed line and at least one wireless module for performing wireless operations; and an antenna element for wireless communication, the antenna element comprising a resonating element, a first connection element connected to the feed line of the wireless module board and a second connection element connected to the main circuit board.
US09825338B2

A non-aqueous secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution includes a non-aqueous solvent, an electrolyte salt, and one or both of a disulfonyl compound represented by a following Formula (1) and a disulfinyl compound represented by a following Formula (2), where R1 is one of a hydrocarbon group, a halogenated hydrocarbon group, an oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group, a halogenated oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group, and a group obtained by bonding two or more thereof to one another; and X1 is a halogen group, where R2 is one of a hydrocarbon group, a halogenated hydrocarbon group, an oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group, a halogenated oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group, and a group obtained by bonding two or more thereof to one another; and X2 is a halogen group.
US09825332B2

An electrolytic solution for lithium ion secondary batteries contains: a lithium salt electrolyte; an organic solvent; and an aliphatic compound having three or more carboxylic acid groups in a molecule.A lithium ion secondary battery includes: a cathode including a cathode active material that is capable of absorbing and releasing lithium and contains manganese (Mn) as a major transit metal species; an anode; and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution is the above-described solution. The aliphatic compound has a molecular weight within the range from 50,000 to 500,000.
US09825323B2

A liquid catholyte as well as electrochemical cells and automotive vehicles employing the liquid catholyte are disclosed. The liquid catholyte includes a quinone as redox active material and a fluoroalkylsulfonyl salt as charge balancing agent and is characterized by a liquid form of the redox active material regardless of redox state. The liquid catholyte can thus have utility as a catholyte in a flow battery.
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